Perfectly Imperfect
by HandsThatHeal
Summary: Big changes bring big upheaval as Callie and Arizona find themselves alone for the first time in years. Will they be able to happily adapt to this new life without their children under their roof or will they now find that they have nothing in common in the absence of the ties that bound them together for so many years? Sequel to Clarity. (Re-Post)
1. Chapter 1

**Title**: Perfectly Imperfect

**Author**: HandsThatHeal

**Pairing**: Callie/Arizona

**Rating**: M/NC-17 (For Future Chapters)

**Summary**: Big changes bring big upheaval as Callie and Arizona find themselves alone for the first time in years. Will they be able to happily adapt to this new life without their children under their roof or will they now find that they have nothing in common in the absence of the ties that bound them together for so many years? Sequel to _Clarity_.

**Disclaimer**: All television shows, books, movies, songs, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work and the characters, events, and settings thereof are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context and are not intended to be libelous, defamatory, or in any way factual.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter One<strong>_

* * *

><p>Arizona anxiously stood at the arrivals gate of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, eagerly bouncing up and down in restless anticipation as she craned her neck around what felt like hundreds of thousands of travelers intent on making their way to different destinations around the world.<p>

She was concerned with finding only one traveler that day, however, an admittedly gorgeous brunette she loved with her whole heart, her entire being.

_Has she landed? Have you seen her? How does she look?_

Glancing down when she felt her iPhone vibrate in her hand, Arizona smiled, chuckling softly as her thumbs flew across the touchscreen.

_Plane just landed, but I'm still waiting. _

_Ugh. I can't wait any longer. Send pics as soon as you see her. _

_I will. Do you need me to stop for anything on my way back?_

_Nope. Everything's taken care of. See you soon. ;o)_

_;o)_

Once again searching the sea of jet-setters, Arizona's body suddenly went still, a large dimpled grin lighting her face when she finally spotted precisely whom she had been waiting for. "Sofia," she whispered when the magical chocolate brown eyes of her twenty-five year old daughter found her own from across the terminal.

Arizona's breath caught in her throat at the sight of her eldest daughter smiling back at her. She was absolutely amazed by just how much like her wife Sofia had grown to be; long raven locks hung perfectly past her shoulders that were covered by a form fitting black leather jacket, the vision nearly identical to Callie on the very first day they'd officially met.

Unable to help herself, Arizona found herself mesmerized by the vision of her grown daughter, but finally recovering, she closed the distance between them in several quick strides, taking the slightly taller woman into her arms.

A squeal of excitement left Sofia's mouth as she held onto her mother and, pulling back, she adjusted the canvas messenger bag that hung from her right shoulder. "Oh my God, mom! I love your hair," Sofia stated with a smile, acknowledging Arizona's recently shortened blonde locks. "Where's mom?" The excited young woman then asked after taking a quick look around.

"She's at home getting everything ready for tomorrow. You know how she gets," Arizona replied, taking her daughter's hand to lead her toward baggage claim. "Oh. I almost forgot. She wants a picture of you as soon as possible," she said with a smirk as she began to tug her daughter through the crowd. But before they could take more than two steps, the clearing of a distinctly male throat behind them halted their forward progression. Turning around, Arizona's eyebrows raised in question at the sight of the blonde haired, blue eyed young man standing behind them.

"Oh, shoot! Caleb! I'm _so_ sorry," Sofia immediately exclaimed, the palm of her hand quickly covering her face in embarrassment.

The three stood in awkward silence for several long moments; Sofia stared lovingly at the blonde stranger as he gazed back at her with love and admiration in his piercing blue eyes, Arizona's head turning back and forth between the two, her brow now furrowed in confusion.

"Umm. . .Sofia?" Arizona finally questioned, hoping to break the epic staring contest between the two that was currently proving to make her more than a little uncomfortable. "Would you like to introduce me to your. . ._friend_?"

Visibly shaking herself from her clearly smitten reverie, Sofia smiled, moving from her mother's side to take Caleb's hand into her own. "Mom. . ." she dragged out, the brilliant megawatt smile covering her face so much like that of her other mother that Arizona found herself having to remind herself that this was indeed her daughter and not her wife from years before. "This is Caleb Harrington-Pruitt," she continued, her voice suddenly becoming nervous. "My. . ._boyfriend_."

Even though she had already predicted the words that we going to come flying from her daughter's beautiful mouth, Arizona's eyes grew wide upon actually hearing them.

"Caleb, this is my mom. Arizona Robbins-Torres."

Reaching out a steady hand, Caleb smiled a genuine smile that Arizona begrudgingly had to admit she found quite likeable. "Dr. Robbins," he began, his hand still extended. "It's an honor to finally meet you," he greeted, his tone clear and confident. "Sofia talks about you all the time, not to mention you're kind of a legend at Hopkins. We actually were just learning about your research in stem cell biology and pediatric airway and chest disorders requiring complex surgical reconstruction with Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation," he rattled off, his proffered hand still hanging in the air.

Arizona glared at her daughter, the look in her cerulean eyes insinuating that they would talk about her complete ignorance to the existence of said _boyfriend_ at a later time before plastering a smile on her face and finally taking the young man's hand. "It's nice to meet you, _Caleb_," she said before stepping to her daughter's side.

As they neared baggage claim, Arizona held back from the young couple, reaching into her bag to grab her phone in order to call and warn Callie of what she was bringing home, but receiving no answer, she decided to send a quick text instead.

_Sorry, babe. No pictures, but Sofia has a BIG surprise for you._

Looking up as Sofia and Caleb approached; she stuffed her phone back into her purse before silently leading them out of the airport and toward the short term parking area. As Caleb loaded their bags into the back of the SUV, Arizona could no longer help herself, pulling Sofia to stand directly in front of her as she spoke.

"I swear to God, Sofia Robbin, I'm going to kill you. That's if your mother doesn't get to you first."

* * *

><p>Silently navigating the vehicle into the garage, Arizona glanced into the rearview mirror, catching a glimpse of Caleb's lips lingering over her daughter's cheek and, when brown eyes flicked up to meet the reflection of her own, the older woman's eyebrows defiantly rose in the air, causing Sofia to pull away from her boyfriend with a nervous clearing of her throat.<p>

"I'll meet you inside. Mom's making chicken piccata for dinner and Grammy's caramel praline cheesecake for desert," Arizona informed as she exited the car.

Making her way into the house filled with the heavenly aroma of Callie's cooking, Arizona quickly deposited her jacket and bag on a rack near the door, her head caustically shaking back and forth as she tried to anticipate her wife's reaction to this latest development. "Calliope?" she then called into the house, quickly making her way through the downstairs of their home.

"Kitchen," a familiar voice replied.

Finally finding her wife standing behind the kitchen island, dark rimmed Prada glasses resting on the bridge of her nose as she read from the Robbins Family Cookbook, Arizona smiled slightly when Callie looked up, an excited grin covering her face.

"Where is she?" Callie cheerfully asked, immediately looking past her wife in search of their daughter. "What's the surprise?"

With a roll of her eyes, Arizona only shook her head, remaining completely silent as she heard the door in the foyer open and then close, two sets of footsteps then making their way through the house and into the kitchen. "Moms? Where are you?" Sofia called, finally peeking her head around the archway leading into the room where her mothers now stood.

Callie gasped at the sight of her eldest daughter, an elated shriek leaving her throat as she ran around the island to envelope the younger woman in a warm embrace.

Pulling away after several long moments, she then held her at arm's length to get a better look. Amazed at just how much she had changed in the six months since they had seen her at Christmas, Callie simply couldn't take her eyes off of the young woman who was the mirror image of herself. "Oh, mija. You look lovely, baby girl," she cooed before taking her back into her arms. She held onto her little girl for what seemed like forever, but finally opening her eyes to glance over Sofia's shoulder, Callie's body went rigid, her eyes lighting with confusion at the sight of the blonde stranger standing in her kitchen right next to her wife.

Slowly pulling away from her daughter, Callie smoothed down her shirt, removing her glasses from in front of her eyes. "And you are?" she then asked without ceremony, her eyes flicking toward Arizona for a little help.

When Arizona only shrugged, Callie turned back toward the young man who smiled, extending his arm to shake Callie's hand. "Caleb Harrington Pruitt, ma'am. It's a pleasure to meet you, Dr. Torres."

Pressing Sofia to the side to remove her from her path, Callie squared her shoulders as she looked this young man up and down and, clearing her throat as she considered Caleb's proffered hand; she then crossed her own arms over her chest. "And you are? A friend? Med school classmate? Lab partner?"

Sofia smiled, moving to Caleb's side to wrap her arms around his waist. "All of the above, mami, and so much more," she dreamily replied. "Caleb is my boyfriend."

* * *

><p>Later that evening as Callie sat in bed, her back resting against the headboard, Arizona stormed out of the ensuite bathroom, toothbrush dangled from her lips. "I just. . .I can't. She didn't tell us, Calliope! They've been dating for six months, and she didn't tell us. She was here at Christmas, and we Skype all the time. What the Hell, Callie? I mean, seriously? What. The. Actual. Hell?" she dramatically emphasized before continuing on. "She used to tell us <em>everything. Everything!<em>" she continued to rant as she disappeared into the bathroom to spit.

Re-emerging once again, she then brusquely pulled back the duvet on her side of the bed and, after sending throw pillows flying across the room, she ripped off her prosthesis before throwing herself beneath the covers with an exaggerated huff.

Watching her wife stew, Callie carefully moved closer to her before reaching out to take her hand. "I know you're hurt, sweetie, but. . .let's just try to get some sleep," she gently offered, leaning over to press a gentle kiss against a fair cheek. "We have a very big day tomorrow."

Having none of it, Arizona shot the taller woman an incredulous glare before rolling frustrated cerulean eyes. "_Hurt_!? I'm not _hurt_, Calliope. I'm pissed! And, sleep? How the Hell am I going to be able to sleep when our family is falling apart?"

Callie couldn't keep the amused smile from her lips as she scooted impossibly closer to her wife and, wrapping her arm around her back, she leaned her head against a pajama clad shoulder. "They're just growing up, sweetie. That's all. Our family isn't falling apart, they're just. . .becoming adults. We are the mothers of three beautiful, amazing, miraculous. . ._adults_."

Arizona leaned back from Callie's embrace, glaring at the woman seated next to her. "How can you be so calm? You're never calm?"

Callie rolled her eyes despite her wife's distress and with a shake of her head, she once again grabbed Arizona who had escaped her arms. "I'm not necessarily _calm_, I'm just. . ."

"What is happening to our children, Calliope?" Arizona quickly interrupted before Callie could finish her statement. "Sofia has some boyfriend who we know nothing about. _Caleb Harrington Pruitt_. What kind of name is that, anyway? Sounds like some pompous little rich kid whom she's doing God only know what with right now in our home, Calliope. In her old bedroom that used to be decorated with freaking Sofia the First and Elsa and Anna!" she continued, her voice rising in tone and inflection. "And Olivia. . .she-she-she's off following her dreams of art and romance a-a-and whatever else in Europe and can't even be bothered to call her moms or come to her brother's high school graduation. And Sam. My baby graduates from high school tomorrow, Calliope. He's the most level headed one of the bunch, and he's leaving me. _Tomorrow_!"

Callie remained momentarily silent as she considered Arizona's words before reaching out to rest her palms against smooth ivory cheeks. "First of all, he's not leaving _tomorrow. _He just _graduates _tomorrow, and we should be celebrating that, not worrying about anything else. Tomorrow is _his_ day, Arizona, and we need to look past everything else for just a little while, for him. . ."

A soft knock on their bedroom door interrupted Callie's speech and, with a simultaneous sigh, Callie dropped her hands from her wife's face, both women now glancing out toward the wooden barrier.

"Come in," Arizona called.

The door slowly opened, a raven head hesitantly appearing through the small crack she had created. "Hey," Sofia nervously began. "I. . .umm. . .can I talk to you?"

Callie and Arizona momentarily shared a poignant look before settling into the pillows stacked against the headboard, one set of chocolate and one set of azure eyes now expectantly trained on their apprehensive looking daughter.

"I know you're mad, and I know I should have told you, but I. . ." Sofia trailed off as she anxiously began to pace at the foot of her mothers' bed. "I-I-I. . .he's in my med school class at Hopkins, but we _officially_ met right before winter break, and we talked and texted while I was here, and he was home in New York. Then when we got back to Baltimore, he asked me out. I just. . .I didn't think much of it, but the more time we spent together, the more time I _wanted _to spend with him, and I, well. . .I. . .here we are."

After listening to their daughter's explanation, there was a momentary silence before Callie decided to speak. "You've been with this man for six months, Sofia," she replied in frustration. "And this is the first we're hearing of him?"

Sofia nodded her head, stopping in her nervously paced circuit to perch herself on the edge of the bed. "I know, I just. . .I. . ." she trailed off with a shake of her head.

Disheartened by Sofia's continued silence, Arizona sighed, pulling the duvet from her legs and scooting down the mattress to sit next to her dejected looking daughter.

Crossing her hands in her lap, Arizona carefully considered her words. "Sofia, we. . .we're not _mad,_" she reluctantly admitted, glancing back at her wife who sent her a knowing smile. "We. . .I guess we're just a little. . ._hurt_," she stated with a hard swallow, unwanted tears brimming in her eyes. "You've always talked to us about everything, sweetheart, and the fact that you decided to keep something as important as this from us is just so unlike you."

Sofia once again nodded, averting her mother's disappointed eyes as she aimlessly fiddled with the hem of her own t-shirt. "I know, but I thought I was doing the right thing. I. . .I didn't want you to worry. . ."

"Of course we worry," Callie contended, standing from the bed to take a seat on the opposite side of their daughter. "Just because you're an adult doesn't mean we don't worry."

"I know, but I didn't want you to worry _more _than you already do," she tried to explain, knowing that her explanation was barely holding water. "I had this plan. I-I-I wanted to prove to myself that I could handle the responsibilities of med school _and_ having a steady boyfriend, before I told you. I know it seems silly, but it was just something I wanted to do."

"You've had boyfriends before, Sofia, and you've always told us about _them_," Arizona tried to rationalize.

"I know, mom, but never in med school and never one. . ."

Slightly unnerved by Sofia's silence, Callie and Arizona shared an uneasy glance, two sets of eyes widening in realization. "How serious is this, Sofia?" Callie finally asked, laying a motherly hand on her daughter's knee.

Sofia swallowed hard before blowing out a ragged breath through pursed lips. "I. . ._love_ him, mami," she finally admitted, caramel cheeks blushing pink as she stared at the wall in front of them. "A-a-and more than that, I. . .I'm _in_ _love_ with him."

Arizona could feel her own heartbeat thundering in her chest, each thump deafening to her ears. She knew this day would eventually come; her daughter was a beautiful, intelligent, and amazing young woman. That didn't, however, mean she had to like it.

But, choosing to swallow her own concerns _for now, _she glanced at her wife whose eyes had become moist with emotion before reaching out a slightly shaking hand to take her daughter's into her own. "Your mother and I love you, Sofia, and we're. . ._happy _that you've proven to yourself that you can handle the pressures of school _and_ a relationship, but that doesn't diminish the fact that you didn't tell us. You know you can be honest with us, sweetheart."

Sofia nodded her head, harshly wiping at a tear that trailed down her face. "I know," she softly whispered.

"We're going to support you no matter what, Sof," Callie added, wrapping her arm around her daughter's shoulders. "We will always be here for you because more than anything else, we want you to be happy."

Relaxing into her mother's embrace, Sofia sighed. "I know."

Snaking her own arm around the younger woman's back, Arizona pressed a gentle kiss against a smooth caramel cheek. "You're an adult, Sofia, and we trust you to make intelligent decisions, but please don't shut us out," she softly beseeched. "Please let us _share_ in your happiness, not be completely caught off guard by it."

Sofia smiled, leaning over to rest against Arizona's side. "I'm sorry. I really am. I promise I won't keep important stuff from you, anymore. I don't really know what I was thinking."

Wrapping both arms around her daughter, Arizona kissed the top of a raven head that now rested on her shoulder. "You were just being you. Strong. Independent. Stubborn. . ."

Sofia rolled her eyes, elbowing her mom. "Okay. I get it. I promise not to keep you in the dark."

"Thank you," Arizona stated, releasing Sofia to allow her to hug her other mother.

Twisting back and forth as she tightly held her daughter, Callie then pulled back with a questioning look on her face. "So, tell us about this _Caleb_," she urged with a happy grin. "He's obviously very attractive. . ._and_ smart. What else?"

A megawatt smile lit Sofia's face at the mention of her boyfriend as she dramatically threw herself back onto the bed, giggling like a giddy school girl. "Oh my God, moms. Caleb is _miraculous_."

* * *

><p>"Wake up, sleepy head," Callie lovingly whispered, her lips forging a path from her wife's ear before traveling down the prominence of her jaw and over her chin to land on pink lips. "I smell breakfast."<p>

Arizona only groaned, rolling onto her side to burrow her way into the warmth of Callie's front. "Don't want to. Too comfy," she whined, her voice thick with sleep.

Callie chuckled softly, kissing the top of a sleep tousled blonde head before rolling over to exit the cocoon of blankets and the shelter of her wife's embrace. Putting on a robe over her pajamas, she sat back down on the edge of the mattress, tugging Arizona toward her. "Come on, babe. Someone in this house is actually making breakfast, which means neither of us has to. There's no way in Hell I'm going to miss out on such a momentous occasion."

Slowly opening her eyes, Arizona scrunched her face in disdain before heaving herself to the side of the bed. "It's probably _Caleb Harrington Pruitt," _she huffed, her voice taking on a stately English brogue when she stated his name. "He's most likely trying to get on the good side of his girlfriend's crazy moms," she continued, reaching upward to stretch her arms and her back. "His name just sounds so pretentious. So. . ._regal_," she teased in the same dialect.

Callie tipped her head back with a hearty laugh at her wife's remark before reaching out to grab the prosthesis resting against the nightstand. "Come on," she urged, kissing an ivory cheek. "Lots to do today, and I need coffee."

With an exaggerated sigh, Arizona expertly donned her leg, accepting the cotton pajama pants Callie handed to her before putting them on, as well.

Once put together, both women then happily descended the stairs hand-in-hand, both chatting animatedly about their son's graduation and the party that was to be held at their home immediately after, but glancing from her wife as they entered the kitchen, Callie's mouth immediately fell agape, her body coming to a complete stop.

Feeling Callie tense at her side, Arizona followed her shocked brown eyes in the direction of the stove, the raven haired beauty she saw flipping pancakes with a spatula, quite similar to, but so much different than the one she had expected to see.

With unruly dark hair piled high atop her head, this woman was closer to Arizona's height with a slightly smaller build than her mother or her older sister. "Oh my God! Olivia!" the blonde happily screamed, releasing Callie's hand to run around the island in order to grab her youngest daughter in an excited embrace.

Callie was immediately at the opposite side, Olivia now completely enveloped in a mommy sandwich. "When did you get here? How did you get here? Why didn't you tell us you were coming?"

A laugh identical to Callie's left the younger woman's lips, though the uncomfortable scowl that her grin morphed into was the spitting image of Arizona. "You're squashing me. Please! Mom! Mami! I can't breathe."

Arizona was the first to step back, though she didn't go far; Callie continuing to cling for dear life to her little girl. "Mami. Please."

Finally moving away, Callie couldn't resist reaching out, her hand hooking around Olivia's head to draw her toward her, and after pressing a loud peck against her temple, she finally retreated.

"When did you get in?" Arizona happily asked, elatedly bouncing up and down.

"Ugh! My trip was a _total disaster_!" Olivia spoke, the spatula in her right hand wildly waving through the air. "My connecting flight in Frankfurt was delayed and then I had a three hour layover in Vancouver. I was supposed to be here by seven o'clock last evening, but I didn't end up getting to Sea-Tac until almost midnight."

"I don't even want to know how much that's going to cost us," Callie grumbled so only Arizona could hear after finally pulling themselves away from their daughter to make their way around the island.

Playfully swatting at Callie's arm as they took their respective seats on high stools, Arizona poured herself and her wife a cup of coffee each, smiling in satisfaction when the hot liquid assaulted her senses.

"So then Sammy picked me up so I could surprise you," Olivia announced, turning around with a flourish to lean her back against the countertop, spatula still animatedly gesturing around her. "And I know his curfew is like eleven, so don't be mad at him. I promised that I'd take the blame."

"Hmm," both women hummed in unison. "We'll see about that," Arizona continued.

As if on cue, the six foot, three inch man of the house entered the kitchen, black basketball shorts covering his muscular legs, a red Ballard High School Football t-shirt covering the large expanse of his torso. With the Saturday morning newspaper in his hand, he pulled a stool in between his mothers, immediately opening to the SUDOKU puzzle at the back.

"Good morning, mijo," Callie greeted, pressing a kiss to his cheek.

"Morning," he replied before glancing back down at the paper.

But soon feeling the penetrating glares from his left and from his right, he guiltily looked at Arizona, offering a sheepish grin as he nervously ran his hand over the raven hair at the top of his head. "Good morning, mom," he spoke, leaning over to kiss her cheek.

Arizona smiled smugly, tapping her fingers against the side of her mug. "Have anything to tell us?" she asked.

Sam sat back in his seat, rolling his eyes. "Geez, Olivia. You told them? Already? Oh my God. I told you they'd be _pissed_. . ."

"Oh, calm down, baby brother," Olivia quickly contended. "They're not _pissed_. They're just messing with you," she argued, setting a heaping plate of pancakes in front of her mothers and brother.

Arizona cleared her throat, pointing a finger at Olivia and nudging Sam with her elbow. "Children! Language!" she scolded, receiving a roll of brown eyes from her daughter and a grunt from her son.

Taking the pencil from Sam's hand, Callie masterfully filled in two entire rows of squares of the newspaper's SUDOKU board. Pleased with her success, she smiled brightly, glancing between her youngest daughter and only son. "We're not _pissed_," she informed, worrying her bottom lip in concentration as she glanced back down at the puzzle. "We were just teasing."

"You know I really hate it when you mess with my SUDOKU," Sam huffed, plucking the pencil from his mother's grasp.

Arizona laughed, taking a sip from her cup. "Of course she knows that, Sam. Why else do you think she does it?"

* * *

><p>"Faculty, administrators, friends, and parents. . .welcome," Sam spoke to the crowd of onlookers as he began his valedictory address to the Ballard Class of 2035. Clad in a red cap and gown, gold valedictory stole, three different honor cords, and a medal he had been awarded from the scholarship program at the University of Washington, he cleared his throat, his dark brown eyes sweeping through the crowd to land on the small group sitting off to his left.<p>

His mothers sat side-by-side with Sofia and then Caleb seated next to Arizona and Olivia next to Callie. In the row behind them, he spotted his Abuela and Abuelo proudly seated next to Grammy and Pop.

"Class of 2035. . .we did it. Who would have thought that we would be here today? Can you still remember your first days in kindergarten? When you became so insecure when your mothers or fathers disappeared from your sight?" Sam paused, receiving several chuckles from his classmates and the rest of the audience.

"He looks like Clifford the Big Red Dog goes to the Olympics," Olivia whispered with a slight chuckle.

Receiving a glare from Arizona and an elbow to the ribs from Callie, her shoulders momentarily shook with laughter before she placed her camera back in front of her eye to proudly snap away.

"But, somehow we made it through, and as we continued on our journey through elementary school, middle school, and then high school, new things came. We wandered along and met different people, new friends, and unforgettable acquaintances. We continuously explored the things this world could offer. We started to make choices and decisions on our own without knowing or simply disregarding the possible consequences ahead, and it has been a long four years, but short all the same. Long because of all the endless hours of homework, summer readings, early morning community service, and extra credit projects we had to endure, but short because of the lifelong friendships and lasting memories we are now forced to leave behind."

"Good or bad, long or short, I will always remember this place. While I'm thrilled to be our valedictorian, I can't say I've spent as many hours as some of us have walking these halls; our teachers, of course, spend an inhuman amount of time here, along with other esteemed faculty and principals, coaches and instructors. It takes that kind of teamwork to survive anywhere in life, and while I know my experience is limited, I do know every problem I've overcome has been because _someone_ has been there to help me."

"We rely on so many people to help us through, and I personally have so many people to thank. To my friends. . .I am very thankful to have shared this experience with you. From our very first day as freshmen here at Ballard to last year's Washington State Football Championship, from Sophomore Homecoming to Senior Prom and everything in between, I am so happy to have had such a great group of people to call my friends."

"To my teachers and mentors. Thank you for all I have learned. For your patience, as well as the skills, abilities, creativity, and all the different opportunities you have afforded to me, I thank you."

"And last, but certainly not least, to my family. To my grandparents who have provided the love and support that only grandparents can. To my sisters who are the greatest out there and who are truly amazing in every way. _And_ who I'm sure will never stop calling me _'Sammy'_ no matter how old I become."

Arizona nudged Sofia, smiling a dimpled grin when her daughter rested her head upon her shoulder.

Clearing his throat, Sam fiddled with the papers that lay on the podium before directing his attention solely toward the two women whom he loved and respected most in the world. "And, most importantly. . .to my moms. Two strong, brilliant, amazing women who have never gone a day without telling me just how much they love me, how proud they are of me, and how special I am."

With a smile that could light the entire western seaboard, Callie glanced toward her wife and, reaching to her left to take Arizona's hand into her own, she squeezed it tightly when she heard soft sniffling from the woman next to her. Wiping at the moisture from her own face, she then looked back toward their son, her own magical brown eyes locking with his.

"Today as we celebrate this momentous event, I personally would like to thank my moms for the unconditional love and support they have provided me. For the beautiful lessons they've taught me, the compelling values they instilled upon me every day of my life, the many times they accepted me back into their arms the countless times I may have hurt them, for forgiving every lie I told or mistake I made, for being my protectors in the face of my enemies, and for reaching out to me despite our differences. A thousand words may not be enough to show my gratitude, but I want to dedicate my successes here today and in the future to my moms. . ."

Wrapping her arm around Callie's lower back, Arizona leaned into her side, tears that had brimmed in her bright blue eyes now falling freely down her face as she proudly watched and listened to their son.

Gathering his thoughts, Sam paused in his speech, two large hands now resting on either side of the podium. "So. . .what's next? I'll be going to college, as will many of my classmates. Others will go to various branches of the armed forces so that the rest of us can sleep safe in our beds. Others may go right out into the workforce, or even take a year or more off to decide what they want to do."

"No matter where we go or what we have planned, we all have so many decisions to make, so many life events to muddle through, and in closing, I would like to leave you with my favorite quote from Dr. Seuss that my moms and sisters used to read to me all the time. I hope it will brighten your day and hopefully encourage you no matter which path you choose. _Be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray. . .or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea. You're off to Great Places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So. . .get on your way!"_

* * *

><p>With her feet propped up on the coffee table in front of her, Callie brought a glass of Pinot Noir to her lips, humming in satisfaction as the earthy flavor of the semi-sweet wine met her palate. Taking another sip from the liquid, she then leaned forward to deposit her glass near her feet, her hands then moving to the legs that rested over her thighs. Slumping back into the couch cushions, she began to massage Arizona's right calf beneath the lounge pants she was wearing. "What a day," she breathed out, her free hand lacing her wife's fingers through her own.<p>

Arizona sighed, nodding her head in agreement. "It was a _good _day, though," she replied, scooting down to get more comfortable, her head resting on a decorative pillow positioned against the arm of the sofa. "Sam's speech was just _so_. . ." she trailed off with a shake of her head, completely unable to put into words how proud their son's valedictory address had made her feel. "And then the party. The food was amazing, Calliope, and it's just been so great to have us all back together again. Our parents included."

Callie smiled, rolling her wife onto her side so that she could wedge her own body between Arizona's back and the couch cushions. "Can you believe our last little birdy is leaving the nest?" she asked, her hand finding its way beneath her wife's t-shirt to lovingly caress the smooth skin she found there.

"Please don't remind me," Arizona groaned, scooting impossibly closer to Callie's front. "We still have the summer left with him before he leaves us for good."

Callie chuckled softly, gathering blonde curls away from Arizona's face so that she could press a kiss against her cheek. "He's going to the University of Washington, Arizona. He's going to be living less than ten miles away."

"I know, but it just. . .won't be the same," Arizona whined, carefully rolling over in the small space in order to face her wife. "He won't be here every night hogging the TV to watch any and every sport there is. His giant tennis shoes won't be next to our smaller ones on the rack by the door. You won't get to fight him for the daily SUDOKU. The garage won't be full of footballs, and basketballs, and soccer balls, and all of his other _boy_ stuff. . ."

Callie's bottom lip jutted out, matching her wife's adorable pout as she pulled her smaller form closer to her front. "I doubt all of that stuff will fit in his dorm room, honey."

Arizona only sighed, closing her eyes as she nuzzled her nose against that of her wife, but just as she was getting comfortable enough that she could fall asleep, the sound of someone else entering the room caught her attention. Glancing up at her wife, she playfully snarled at the interruption before reluctantly rolling over.

Spotting Olivia who was now seated on an armchair in the corner of the room, she sat up, swinging her legs over the side of the sofa to sit next to her wife.

Leaning forward with her elbows resting on her knees, Callie's eyes narrowed in concern as she watched Olivia aimlessly run her hand over the material covering the arm of the chair. "What's up, sweetheart?"

Olivia didn't immediately speak, choosing instead to stand from her seat in order to cross the room before forcing herself down into the small space that remained between her mothers. "We need to talk," she hesitantly admitted, her voice a hushed whisper.

Arizona craned her neck forward, glancing in front of her daughter to meet the worried brown eyes of her wife. "Okay," Arizona then replied, patting Olivia's knee. "You know we're always here to listen."

Olivia sighed, nervously wringing her hands in front of her, the act completely identical to the habit Callie still possessed after all these years. "I. . .umm. . .I've decided to. . .well, I've been thinking about. . .changing my major," she quickly stated, immediately jumping up to distance herself from two clearly shocked women.

"What?!" Callie exclaimed, her tone more harsh than she had intended. "Wait, wait. What?" she repeated, shaking her head in confusion.

"Calliope," Arizona softly warned, crossing her right arm over her body to pat her wife's thigh before supportively grasping onto a tanned hand. "Where's this coming from, Olivia? What happened?"

Olivia shook her head, her expressive brown eyes welling with tears. "I. . .I'm just not sure that Art and Design is meant for me," she softly admitted. "It's just. . .I feel like I need something new. Something more. . ._practical_. More _lucrative_. More. . .down to earth," she continued, her emotions rising with every word.

"Since when have you ever been _practical_, Olivia?" Callie immediately shot back, shaking her head in frustration.

Olivia opened her mouth to speak, but she paused, her chocolate eyes clearly showing the hurt her mother's question had induced.

Callie swallowed hard, mentally scolding herself for her harsh response. "No, no. I'm sorry. That came out wrong," she immediately apologized, jumping up from the couch and crossing the living room to gather her now crying daughter into her arms. "What I _meant_ was. . .you've always been our dreamer, Olivia. So talented and so artistic, and that's what makes you who you are. That's what makes you special. That's what brings you and everyone around you so much joy. Why would you ever want to change that?"

Olivia shook her head against her mother's shoulder before pulling back to wipe her eyes. "I don't know," she softly spoke through her tears as she moved from her mother's side to once again begin pacing the room. "It's just. . .what if I fail? What if I can't make ends meet? I don't want to struggle, Mami. I don't want to be a-a-a _starving artist_ for the rest of my life. I just. . ."

With tears now brimming in her own eyes, Callie guided the younger woman back toward the sofa, gently pressing her down to sit next to Arizona before taking a seat on the coffee table in front of them. "You could never be a failure, sweetheart, and I'm sure it will be tough at first, but that's what we're here for. Your mom and I would never force you to struggle or to _starve_ for goodness sake."

Glancing between the two clearly upset brown eyed beauties, Arizona took Olivia's hands into her own, squeezing them tightly. "So, what were you thinking? Did you have a new major in mind?" she asked, hoping to diffuse the rising emotions between the other two women.

Olivia nodded, clearing her throat as she reached up with one hand to once again wipe the moisture from her face. "I've been thinking pre-med," she softly replied.

Glancing in Callie's direction, Arizona tried mightily to hide her complete shock and utter surprise, but totally knew that her eyes were failing her one hundred percent. Her wife was right; Olivia had never been a practical child, her nose always in a novel instead of a text book, her interests more in art classes and photography than sports or academics, but deciding to play devil's advocate, she carefully chose her words. "Wow, Olivia. That's quite a change."

"You don't think I can do it?" came the younger woman's heated reply.

Arizona shook her head. "Not at all, sweetheart. I definitely think you could be a doctor. You have the brains and the talent to do anything and be anything you want," she softly informed, quickly looking toward Callie and then back toward their daughter. "All I'm saying is, I've never once heard you mention wanting to be a doctor until right this minute."

Olivia sheepishly looked away, refusing to meet either of her mothers' eyes. "It's kind of a recent development," she shyly admitted.

Unsure of what else to say, Arizona sat in silence, perfectly content to now allow Callie to pick up where she had left off and, gesturing for her wife to make some sort of attempt, she relaxed slightly when Callie opened her mouth to speak.

"Look at me, Olivia," Callie softly encouraged, patting her palms against her daughter's knees. When flustered brown eyes finally turned in her direction, she offered her daughter an understanding smile. "This is a huge decision, sweetheart. One that shouldn't be taken lightly."

"I know that, mother! You think I don't realize what a change like this would mean?"

"All I'm saying is. . ." Callie immediately continued, her tone even, but warning at the same time. ". . .I think you should take some time. You've already started the summer semester in Florence, and I think you should at least finish it. Take that time to clear your head and really think about what you want to do and more importantly, what makes _you_ happy."

Glancing between the two, Arizona decided to take back the reins. "Your mom and I would never force you to do anything you don't want to, but I really think this is something you _need_ to do. This is your future, Olivia, and all we want is what's best for you. So. . .take the summer to think. If at the end of it you still want to change to pre-med, mom and I will do everything we can to help you make that happen."

Callie searched Olivia's face, hoping to see at least the whisper of a smile, but finding none, she hesitantly spoke. "How does that sound?"

Olivia rolled her eyes, unwilling to relent. "I'll think about it," she finally replied, wiping at her face before quickly standing to leave the room.

Completely stunned and more than a little confused by the conversation they had just engaged in, Callie and Arizona could only stare at each other, neither having the energy or the brain power to process or make sense of what had just occurred.

"That went well," Arizona grumbled, throwing herself back against the couch cushions.

"Dr. Robbins? Dr. Torres?"

Brown and blue eyes snapped in the direction of the entryway upon hearing Caleb's voice, his confident and soothing tone penetrating the uncomfortable silence that now hung thickly throughout the living room.

Arizona and Callie then looked back toward each other to share a discontented look and, forcing herself not to roll her eyes or shake her head, Arizona plastered a dimpled grin on her face before turning back in the young man's direction. "Hey, Caleb. What can we help you with?"

The strikingly handsome young man nervously cleared his throat, his behavior the very first sign of apprehension he had displayed since coming into their lives the day before. "Well, I was hoping I could speak with you," he began, leaning back on the arm of a chair and drumming his fingertips against the tops of his legs.

"Uh-huh?" Arizona skeptically replied.

"What about?" Callie questioned as she moved from the coffee table to once again sit next to her wife, desperately sensing the need to portray a united front, an impenetrable fortress, an iron curtain.

Caleb once again cleared his throat before making his way back to his feet. "Well, as you know, Sofia and I have been dating for six months now, and I. . .I can honestly say that in that time, I've grown to love your daughter very much. I find her miraculous. Breathtakingly stunning. . ."

Feeling Arizona tense at her side, Callie looked toward her wife whose eyes were now staring at the man in front of her in a squinted glare and, fighting the urge to chuckle at the irony of the situation, she bit her bottom lip to stop herself from completely losing her composure.

"Sofia's just. . .she's the most beautiful, intelligent, and loving woman a man could ever ask for. I know that six months doesn't seem like that long, but being with her is the greatest thing that has ever happened to me, and I. . .I can't imagine spending my life with anyone else but her. I love your daughter, Dr. Robbins, Dr. Torres, and I. . .I'm here today to ask your blessing in making her my wife."

Arizona's head fell forward with a huff; she absolutely couldn't believe her ears and, taking a few minutes to gather herself, she then looked up, her hands on her hips as she stood. "Oh, Caleb. Caleb, Caleb, Caleb," she stated, shaking her head with every repetition of his name. "What makes you think you're ready to marry our daughter? Huh?" she asked, her expressive blue eyes taking on a wild gaze as the events of the day now completely overwhelmed her. "How do you know you're ready to be a husband?"

"Arizona. . ." Callie softly warned, reproachfully shaking her head when the blonde looked back in her direction.

Caleb tipped his own head to the side in consideration of his response. "Well, Dr. Robbins, I guess I don't. . .because I've never been a husband," he honestly replied, his hands now in his pockets as he carefully considered his words. "But, what I do know is that there's no one-size-fits-all formula for being a wonderful husband. Every husband and wife and every marriage is different, and I know marriage takes work. I know it's not easy, and most importantly, I know that I need to be honest with Sofia. I need to communicate with her. I need to respect her, and love her, and take care of her until my dying breath. I need to make sure she knows she is the most important thing in my life."

The room fell silent at the completion of Caleb's heartfelt and honest speech, though Arizona remained unconvinced. "Hmm," she curtly hummed. Now engaging her daughter's suitor in a staring contest to end all staring contests, she adamantly crossed her arms over her chest.

Shaking her head as she watched her wife's every mover, Callie rubbed her hands up and down against her face before standing from her seat. "Okay, okay," she spoke, stepping up to intervene. "Caleb, thank you so much for coming to us with this. . ._information_. That was very honorable of you, and we appreciate that very much," she began, her hands now resting on Arizona's shoulders. "Dr. Robbins and I have had a very long day," she tried to stall. "You and Sofia will be here for the rest of the week, though, and I promise you that we will have an answer for you by then. Won't we, honey. . ."

"Hm."

Realizing that it was probably best for him to take his leave, Caleb turned on his heel, his eyes lingering over the women he hoped would someday be his mothers-in-law before quickly making his way out of the room and up the stairs.

Once he was gone, Arizona bent forward at her waist, her hands resting on her knees, an exaggerated breath leaving her lungs. "I'm dying. Seriously, Calliope. This is what death feels like, and I'm on my way out. I can't take this. I'm seriously about ready to end it."

Chuckling softly at her wife's antics, Callie pulled her back up into standing, shaking her head at her wife's obvious distress. "Oh, don't be so dramatic, Arizona," she contended, patting her wife on the ass before making her way back to the sofa. "I thought his little speech was sweet."

Quickly spinning around, Arizona's eyes went wide. "_Sweet?_" she incredulously spat. "You have _got_ to be kidding me!"

In desperate need of more wine after the conversations she and her wife had just engaged in, Callie took a large gulp from her glass, but completely unable to stop herself from teasing her wife about the upheaval they now found themselves involved in, she set the glass aside with a smirk. "Yes, Arizona. I thought what he said was _sweet_. And honest, and very. . ._Robbins-esque_," she replied with a conspiratorial wink. "No wonder Sofia loves him, babe. He's the male version of _you_," she practically squealed before dissolving into a fit of giggles.

Throwing her hands up in the air in defeat, a frustrated growl left Arizona's lips as she tossed her body backward onto the sofa with a bounce. "Please, Callie. Please. Just shoot me now."

Innocently making his way into the living room, Sam grabbed the remote from the coffee table, his thumb immediately pressing the number combination for ESPN.

"Oh my God. What now?" Arizona dramatically questioned, azure eyes glaring at her son. "Do you have some earth shattering news _you'd_ like to share with us as well? Some secret you've been hiding from us for the past six months?"

Dragging his attention from the Mariners versus Yankees baseball game now on the flat screen TV, he stared at his mother in confusion. "Who? Me?"

"Yes you, Samuel!" she snapped with a roll of her eyes.

Sam's brow furrowed, his mind completely boggled as he stared at his mother. "Umm. . .no?"

"You don't plan on switching from pre-med at UW and going off to study abroad?"

Sam shook his head, at a complete loss. "No?" he replied, now staring at his mother as if she'd sprouted another head.

"No surprise girlfriends or boyfriends, or wedding plans in the near future?"

"Of course not, mom," he stated with a befuddled shake of his head. "What the heck's the matter with you?"

Grabbing her son by the hand, Arizona gave it a quick tug, causing him to lose his balance and tumble onto her lap. Holding him just as she had when he was a little boy, lanky but strong arms and legs now seemingly everywhere, she hugged him as tightly to her body as she could. "Please, please, please don't ever leave," she begged as she rocked him back and forth. "And don't ever change because your freaking sisters are going to be the death of me."


	2. Chapter 2

**Title:** Perfectly Imperfect

**Author:** HandsThatHeal

**Pairing:** Callie/Arizona

**Rating:** M/NC-17 (For Future Chapters)

**Summary:** Big changes bring big upheaval as Callie and Arizona find themselves alone for the first time in years. Will they be able to happily adapt to this new life without their children under their roof or will they now find that they have nothing in common in the absence of the ties that bound them together for so many years? Sequel to Clarity.

**Disclaimer:** All television shows, books, movies, songs, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work and the characters, events, and settings thereof are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context and are not intended to be libelous, defamatory, or in any way factual.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter Two<strong>_

* * *

><p><strong><em>(Arizona's POV)<em>**

_They say there's a distinct beauty combined with an explicit challenge to being a mom. As tightly as I would like to hold on to my precious little ones, I will eventually have to let them go and, with each letting go, I'll be forced to watch all three of them step further into the unique women or man they now are, embracing their strengths, challenging their weaknesses, and learning what it is to be human._

_It takes courage and wisdom to become that cognizant and fully conscious mother of grown adults and, while I love my children with all of my heart and all that I am, I've recently realized that over the years, I've slowly but surely been relinquishing the reins bit-by-tiny-bit so that eventually, my precious babies will be able to assume full responsibility for their own lives._

_And that. . .is no easy task. In fact, it's harder than I ever anticipated it would be, because there's a fine line between renouncing my responsibility for them and not letting go of the beautiful relationships I've developed and nourished with all three of them throughout the years. It's a precarious system of give and take, and it's important to realize that letting go doesn't imply less of a loving relationship, but a change in that relationship, an alteration that will eventually allow me to enjoy my kids as fellow adults. It's simply a matter of letting go of who they once WERE in order to embrace who they now ARE._

_But unfortunately, that's not as simple as I'd like it to be; it's honestly. . .hard as Hell. It's like I just turned around and my three babies were twenty-five, twenty, and eighteen. It's a shock to the system because I have no idea where the time has gone. Wasn't it just yesterday that Sam was taking his first steps, or Olivia was skipping off to school, or Sofia was going on her first date? I can't believe how much time has passed, and I want so desperately to hold on. I want to keep them safe and protected in my loving embrace._

_Well, at least the overprotective part of me does. . ._

_The more rational part of me wants to be able to respect them and honor them as independent adults, and I know that I need to draw a line and maintain boundaries between being a supportive and helpful mom versus an overbearing and intrusive one. I need to learn how to treat them as nothing less than the women and man they are today, in order to have a loving relationship with them in the future. Treating them as they were yesterday, just won't work. It will never work, and I've begrudgingly come to terms with the fact that this will most likely be the most emotionally difficult transition Callie and I have ever had to endure. Fortunately though, she and I are a team, and we are wholly determined not to make the mistake of denying Sofia, Olivia, and Sam the respect they deserve._

_Just thinking about my babies growing into the amazing adults they now are makes me beyond proud, but overwhelmingly sad at the same time, and it's going to take Callie and me some time, but we need to somehow come to terms with the fact that this house, the loving home where all three of our children grew into the adults they are today, is no longer a nest to house our baby birds, but instead, a net to catch them if they should happen to fall._

_Our family has now reached a place of preparation, a launching pad of sorts, a commencement into our children's futures, and while my wife and I would love to have Sofia, Olivia, and Sam home with us forever and ever, we both know that is an irrational expectation. Instead, we must deliberately make the distinction between 'caring for' and 'taking care of' our children and, at this point in time, Calliope and I have to hope that we haven't missed anything, that we haven't failed to cover even the smallest of practical lessons._

_Will Sofia be able to file her taxes? Can Olivia change a flat tire? Can Sam do his laundry without turning all of his white socks pink?_

_While I know they can do all of these things and that they have learned these simple lessons at home and elsewhere in life, I still can't help but hope that they'll turn to us when the need arises. I can't help but long for the morning when one of them will be standing in their kitchen pondering the act of balancing their checkbook or scrambling an egg. . .and our telephone will ring._

* * *

><p>Stepping through the kitchen door and onto the patio, one arm holding a bowl of pasta salad, a pitcher of Sangria in the other, Arizona set the bowl onto a long wooden outdoor dining table before pouring herself a generous amount of the cool beverage into a poco grande glass. Topping it off with an umbrella straw, she smiled as a round of infectious laughter, from somewhere in the yard, caught her attention.<p>

Looking up in the direction of the cheerful noises, her eyes landed on Olivia who was desperately attempting to drag her much larger baby brother to the ground as he successfully continued to evade her with a football tucked in his arms, a squealing Sofia thrown over Caleb's shoulder to keep her away from her teammate as he carried the ball toward the goal. Arizona couldn't help but chuckle at the site, completely unsure of how Sofia and Sam had ended up on a team against Olivia and Caleb and, as she continued to watch, she ruefully shook her head as Sam hopped one legged into the makeshift end zone, which she assumed was just past a flowering cherry tree, with Olivia firmly holding onto one of his knees as he dragged her along with him.

With another shake of her head, she sighed, turning back toward the dining area and, with a dimpled grin lighting her face, she couldn't help but stare at her very own Grill Master who stood slaving away over their meal; Callie's long brunette hair was bundled high atop her head, the caramel skin of her neck glistening with just a bit of sweat from the warmth of the June afternoon and the heat radiating from the grill.

Admiring her wife for several long moments, the heavenly aroma that only a barbecue could induce assaulting her senses, Arizona soon stepped up behind Callie, her left hand coming to lovingly rest at the small of her back. "Smells amazing!" she commented, pressing a gentle kiss to the prominence of her wife's jaw.

Callie smiled, leaning down to give her wife a more thorough kiss and, pulling back, she slowly licked her lips. "Mmmm, Sangria," she hummed, her own mouth now flavored by the remnants of the fruity beverage that lingered on those of her wife.

With a beaming grin and a sly wink, Arizona handed over the glass she held in her free hand.

Happily accepting it, Callie took a sip from the straw, her tongue immediately poking out to swipe a drop from her bottom lip. "Mmmm. Excellent. I think after all these years, you've finally perfected the recipe."

"You like?" Arizona asked, stealing back her glass.

"Mmhm," Callie answered, stirring the vegetables in a grilling basket atop the grate. "You know, I can remember a time when hot dogs and hamburgers were all they'd eat," she mused as she continued to work, once again commandeering her wife's beverage to take another sip. "But today, Sam wanted filet. Olivia wanted salmon with avocados, and Sofia wanted chicken and grilled vegetables."

Glancing down at the massive amount of food on their huge state of the art gas grill and what she assumed was even more goodies marinating in a container off to the side, Arizona couldn't resist teasing her wife. "Well, what about me? What about what I want."

Callie seemed to momentarily ponder her wife's question and, with a sultry smirk, she leaned forward, her teeth nipping at an ivory earlobe. "I'm fairly confident I gave _you_ what you wanted. . .last night. Twice, in fact. And once again this morning."

With a wicked gleam in her azure eyes, Arizona's head tipped back with laughter and, wrapping her arms around her wife's neck, she pulled her down to intimately join their lips. Both women reveled in the essence of the Sangria mixed with the unique taste of her lover, each wife becoming intoxicated by the flavorful combination.

They kissed for several long moments and, finally pulling back, Callie found herself lost in the eyes she'd been gazing into for the past twenty-seven years. With one final peck to reddened lips and with a playful swat to a perfectly rounded bottom, she then turned her attention back toward the grill.

Hopping up onto a bistro stool, Arizona took back her glass, content to chat with her wife while watching their grown child playing like they were kids again. The sight of the three, plus one newcomer, warmed her heart, but she also found herself unable to fend off the overwhelming sense of sadness that now filled her soul at the thought of their daughters leaving to go back to school the following day. One week with their family back together again certainly wasn't enough.

"I was thinking since Sofia and Caleb have to be at the airport by nine in the morning, but Olivia's flight doesn't leave until one, maybe we could get Sofia and Caleb all squared away and then have breakfast at that one little restaurant at the airport. The one that's kind of out of the way. . ." she trailed off, her eyes shifting upward from the chicken breast she'd just flipped, trying to remember said restaurant's name. "What's that place called?"

Arizona remained silent, her fingers aimlessly fiddling with the open heart pendant on the chain she'd been wearing for the greater part of twenty-six years as she stared out at the four people running around on their perfectly manicured lawn.

"Arizona? Are you listening to me?" Callie asked when her question went unanswered. "Arizona?" she called again, glancing toward her wife.

Arizona visibly shook herself from her silent reverie, the sound of her wife's voice calling her name finally penetrating her reflective mind. "What? Oh, I'm sorry. It's Anthony's. That place, umm. . .I think it's called Anthony's."

Callie nodded in agreement, but realizing from the far off look in her wife's beautiful cerulean eyes that she was off processing something somewhere far-far away, she closed the lid of the grill, stepping in front of Arizona to rest her palms on khaki capri clad thighs. "You okay?" Callie whispered, leaning forward to place a gentle kiss against a smooth jaw, her own cheek lingering to press against a much fairer one.

Arizona smiled slightly, relaxing at the sensation of Callie's body against her own, a sigh leaving her lips as she tipped her head forward to comfortably rest her forehead against her wife's shoulder. "I'm. . .okay," she softly replied before straightening back up so she could look into Callie's eyes. "I'm just sad they're leaving."

Callie pursed her lips, her eyes reflecting sympathy and complete understanding as she lovingly ran her palms up and down her wife's legs. "I know, sweetie. Me too," she earnestly admitted, taking Arizona's hands into her own. "But, they have to go back to school."

Arizona nodded, lacing her own pale fingers through caramel ones, her attention trained downward as she fiddled with Callie's wedding ring. "I know."

Callie remained silent, allowing her wife a few moments of quiet introspection. Knowing that Arizona had fretted over their daughters' departure the following day, on top of the subject of Caleb's desire to marry Sofia for the past week, she had to hand it to Arizona for keeping herself together fit as long as she had.

But, Callie was also well aware that they still hadn't given the poor guy any sort of response concerning his request, she decided to take a chance, finally broaching the topic that had been thickly hanging over them for the past week. "I know we've been putting it off, but they have to leave tomorrow, Arizona, and we've yet to talk to Caleb about. . ."

Arizona blew out an exaggerated breath, shaking her head. "I know. I know," she interrupted, waving Callie off before the actual words could come falling from her wife's beautiful mouth. "I've just been. . ." she trailed off, closing her eyes. Gathering her thoughts, she once again opened them, staring over her wife's shoulder with narrowed eyes as she watched Sam pick up Sofia to carry his teammate into the end zone. "I've been going over and over the thought of Sofia getting. . ." she paused again, and after surreptitiously searching her surroundings, she lowered her voice, "_married_. . .every day since Caleb asked. In the shower. In the OR. In my dreams. . .and I-I'd be lying if I said I didn't have some concerns."

Nodding her head, Callie leaned back slightly so she could better see her wife's face. "Me, too," she agreed, swallowing hard, one hand reaching out to nervously fidget with the wide strap of the dark pink tank top her wife was wearing. "So, let's talk about it," she urged with a tight nod. "We have some time before dinner."

With a defeated sigh, Arizona knew this conversation indeed needed to happen and, taking the hand that now rested on her shoulder, she laced their fingers together, pressing her lips to the back of a tanned hand. "I know I'm just being a mom, which probably means I'm also being a little irrational and more than a little overprotective, but I think my concerns about this are quite valid, Calliope," she began by way of explanation before she had even spoken one word of what was causing her apprehension.

Lovingly gazing at her wife, Callie nodded her head as she quickly gathered her own thoughts. "You're not just being a mom, Arizona. Well, you are, but please tell me what's going on inside your head, honey," she requested, knowing that when her wife got on a rambled roll, it could take hours to bring her back down to earth and to the point of the matter. "We can't have a conversation about this unless I know what you're thinking."

Arizona momentarily stared at her wife, her mouth opening and closing twice before she felt truly together enough to speak. "I'm thinking. . .should we talk to Sofia about this first? Should we warn her? Well, maybe not necessarily _warn her_, but at least, tell her? I mean, how do we even know she wants to marry him?" she ranted, her hands gesturing around her body to emphasize her words.

Callie incredulously stared at her wife; of course Sofia wanted to marry Caleb, that much was obvious from the conversation they'd had with their daughter about her boyfriend the night before Sam's graduation, not to mention the time they'd spent with the young couple over the past week. "Arizona. . ."

Realizing from the look on Callie's face and the tone in her voice that this particular argument was thoroughly inadequate and quite ill-conceived, Arizona sighed, pausing to carefully choose her words. "Th-they're both still students, Calliope. And, does he plan on proposing right away? A-a-and if he does, how long will they be engaged?" she fired off in rapid succession, barely taking the time to breathe. "And if they get married right away, how will they support themselves throughout the remainder of med school and then residency?" she continued. "I mean I know we're here for Sofia; she's got money saved from her summer jobs, and certainly has more than enough in her trust fund, but what about him? Is Sofia going to be supporting him throughout the remainder of their schooling? Is he financially stable?"

Callie nodded her head, finding this list of worries completely rational. "I totally agree with you, and I think we need to talk to him about all of these concerns," she replied, grabbing the hands of her adorably flustered wife. "I don't think this is something we should keep quiet about, and I think we're right to voice our opinions. We have lots of life experience that, if Caleb is as _miraculous_ as Sofia insists he is, he won't mind listening to and taking into consideration."

Arizona sighed, her gaze dropping to the stone pavers beneath her before popping back up to stare into the magical brown eyes of her wife. "When did I become the crazy one in this relationship, and you the rational one?" she asked, leaning forward to hug her wife.

Callie chuckled softly, turning her head so she could press a loving kiss against intoxicating pink lips. "Mmmm, just today. Tomorrow I'll be the crazy one."

* * *

><p><em>(Flashback: Nine Years Ago)<em>

_"Shit! Shoot! Damn it!" Callie cursed, juggling two boxes of pizza and two grocery bags in one arm, her purse and laptop case over her opposite shoulder with three more totes full of food held tightly in her hand, a set of keys dangling from her teeth. "Don't hate me!" she called into the bottom floor of the house after dropping her keys onto a small table near the door. "I know I said I was going to grill tonight, but surgery ran long. So. . .who wants pizza?" she sheepishly asked the empty room, nearly tripping over a football and a backpack as she precariously toed off her shoes. "Sam! Olivia! Come get your shi-stuff out of the middle of the floor!" she yelled, fighting mightily with some fancy footwork to not drop the load in her arms._

_When the house remained silent, Callie sighed, kicking the ball out of her path. She remembered a time not so long ago when she was greeted at the door by an excited eight-year-old Sofia, showing off her latest A+ paper, an exuberant three-year-old Olivia, animatedly chatting about the latest picture she'd drawn in day care as a one-year-old Sammy cruised his way around the furniture, mere moments away from letting go and toddling his way toward her to cling to her leg._

_Wondering what had happened to those days, she started toward the kitchen, but paused when the pizza boxes almost slipped from her hands. "Olivia! Sam! Please come get your stuff and take it to your rooms," she repeated, once again moving through the house to unload the bags and boxes in her arms._

_But, before she could make it, Arizona appeared from the kitchen, a brightly colored beach towel draped over her right shoulder. "Hey! There you are," she happily stated, taking the pizza boxes from her struggling wife's grasp. "The kids are in the pool. Why don't you go outside with them, and I'll put this stuff away."_

_Callie smiled in thanks, setting the bags atop the kitchen island. "I'm so sorry I'm late," she spoke, leaning down to peck at her wife's lips._

_Arizona offered her an understanding wink before pressing herself upward to capture her lips in a more thorough and proper welcome home kiss. "Now, go before one of them tries to drown the other," she stated with a smirk. "I'll bring the food out when I'm finished. Wine?" she asked as an afterthought._

_Callie blew out an exaggerated breath and with an adamant nod of her head, she honestly spoke. "Yep. Just bring the whole bottle."_

* * *

><p><em>Ten minutes later, Arizona stepped onto the patio to find her wife seated at the pool's edge, her pants rolled up to her knees as her feet dangled into the water. "Bailey told me about your surgery. How'd it end up?" she asked, pouring Callie a glass of Merlot.<em>

_Callie sighed, shaking her head as she turned in her wife's direction. Knowing exactly what that dejected look meant, Arizona didn't ask anything further, pulling up a chaise lounge so she could sit behind her, two girly hands immediately coming to Callie's shoulders to knead the tense muscles she found beneath her blouse._

_They sat in silence for several long moments, watching their children play; an eleven-year-old girl and a nine-year-old boy, both with penetrating brown eyes and raven locks, each taking turns doing tricks off the diving board._

_"Since when do they not hug me when I get home?" Callie sadly asked, leaning further back into her wife._

_Arizona tipped her head to the side, pursing her lips in concentration as if she was figuring an obscure math problem. "Well, by my estimation, Sofia hasn't for about four years, but these two. . .I'd say that's been about a month and a half," she teased, leaning forward to rest her chin on her wife's shoulder._

_Callie smirked upon hearing her wife's response; she already knew the answer, but hearing it aloud made the feelings of nostalgic dejection even worse._

_"Hey, at least I still love you?" Arizona commented, pressing her lips to a caramel cheek. "In fact, I can't get enough of you." _

_Shaking herself from her melancholy reverie, Callie couldn't help but return the stunning smile Arizona offered her. "Love you, too," she whispered, quickly moving out of the way as Sam's football came flying across the pool, bouncing inches from where they sat._

_"Sorry, about that," he immediately apologized, quick feet padding around stone pavers to retrieve the wayward ball._

_Arizona smiled, tousling the unruly wet hair atop his head as he passed. Out of all three of their children, Sam had always been the best-behaved, always wanting to please his mothers and everyone around him even though he did tend to be incredibly ornery and persistently rambunctious more often than not. "Put your stuff away and get dried off. It's time for dinner," she then informed. "Come on, Olivia. You, too."_

_Pulling herself into standing, Callie reached down to take her wife's hand, tugging her up along with her and, starting toward their outdoor dining area, she paused, quickly glancing around. "Where's Sofia?" she asked, glancing first at her wife, and then back toward a sopping wet Olivia._

_"She's in her room getting ready for her date!" the girl answered, her voice sounding way too smug for her age. "She's been up there for hours changing her clothes and putting on make-up."_

_Callie's eyes narrowed upon hearing her daughter's response, Olivia's slim form now tightly wrapped in a towel as water dripped from her wet locks. "Wait, wait. What? I thought THAT was tomorrow night," Callie spoke, her brow furrowing in confusion._

_"Nope. It's tonight," Olivia simply answered, her voice taking on a tattle tale tone. "He's coming to pick her up at seven."_

_Glancing from the little girl toward her wife, brown eyes questioningly searched knowing cerulean ones. "I specifically remember her asking to go to a movie with Thomas on Saturday night, Arizona. And though I've had an admittedly terrible day, I'm fairly confident that today is Friday, not Saturday," she carried on as she passed out paper plates._

_"Their plans changed at the last minute, Calliope," Arizona calmly explained, placing a slice of pizza on Sam and Olivia's plates._

_Callie shook her head, wondering how her Type-A know-it-all wife was not freaking the Hell out about the sudden change in the day and time of their daughter's first official date. "Well, I didn't know anything about this, Arizona, and I certainly didn't know he'd be coming to get her. I thought we were dropping her off at the theatre and then picking her back up."_

_Taking her wife's flailing hands into her own, Arizona momentarily paused, carefully choosing her words. "She called me about it this afternoon. You were in surgery, so I didn't want to bother you," she began to explain. "I didn't think pushing their date up one day would be such a big deal."_

_"A CAR DATE is a big deal!" Callie immediately argued. "I mean, you are aware of what happens in the back seats of cars, right?" she incredulously disputed before closing her eyes and swallowing hard. She honestly couldn't believe she was taking the idea of Sofia going on her first REAL date so negatively. She was supposed to be a COOL mom, not one who freaked out at the drop of a hat, and certainly not one who behaved like her own father. Shit...she really needed to get it together and, slowly opening her eyes, she sighed, feeling slightly comforted by the steady calm she found in her wife's eyes._

_"She's sixteen, Calliope, and Thomas is seventeen. I think. . ."_

_"B-b-but we were going to talk to her about s. . ." Callie trailed off in her interruption, looking behind her to see Olivia and Sam chowing down, and lowering her voice so they couldn't hear, she finally continued. ". . .stuff."_

_Arizona nodded her head. "Already done," she insisted._

_"Curfew?"_

_"Eleven," Arizona quickly answered._

_"Phone?"_

_"On at all times."_

_"Letting us know when she gets to wherever they're going and if she leaves to go somewhere else?"_

_"Text as soon as she gets to the theatre for the movie and text again before she goes elsewhere."_

_"And if we call her?"_

_"She has ten minutes to respond."_

_"And if she doesn't?"_

_"We'll call her until she does."_

_"And then?"_

_"If she still doesn't answer, we bust up into the joint like the freaking Gestapo."_

_Callie rolled her eyes at her wife's response but then sighed, wracking her brain for anything else she could possibly think to ask. Finding nothing, she visibly deflated. "Mother of the Year," she sheepishly grumbled, her eyes momentarily gazing downward before she glanced back up in Arizona's direction. "How the Hell are you so calm? And when exactly did I become the crazy one in this relationship?"_

_Arizona laughed at her wife's response, shaking her head as she pulled Callie into a loving embrace. "You're just crazy today, and I'm just the mother who happened to be here," she coyly replied. _

_Pulling back from Callie's arms, Arizona stared into still worried chocolate eyes before gently placing her palms at the sides of caramel cheeks. "She's going to be okay, Calliope. She's sixteen. She's a good girl, and she's never given us any reason NOT to trust her."_

_Before Callie could respond, she heard the kitchen door open and, turning around, both mothers' bodies went tense at what they saw. Sofia now stood on the patio, ballet flats and dark washed jean capris covering her long legs, a salmon colored tank top with lace trim adorning her torso as a gray sweater hung over her bent arm. Her wavy raven hair had been straightened, just a touch of make-up lighting her flawless caramel face._

_"You look beautiful, Sofia," Arizona breathed out after several long moments of silence._

_"Too beautiful," Callie grumbled so only her wife could hear._

_Arizona playfully swatted at Callie's arm with the back of her hand before stepping around the table to lovingly brush a stray lock of raven hair behind their eldest daughter's ear._

_All too soon, the sound of unfamiliar footfalls coming through the garden gate interrupted their brief moment; the boy making his way toward them had curly light brown hair, the yellow polo shirt he wore, ill-fitting as it hung from his slender form. "Thomas," Sofia greeted, stepping from between her mothers to stand next to the slightly taller boy. "Thomas, these are my moms. Moms, this is Thomas."_

_Arizona smiled, warningly squeezing Callie's hand when she heard her wife once again grumble under her breath. "Hello, Thomas."_

_"Hey, Dr. Robbins," he goofily greeted._

_An awkward silence permeated the area and, receiving an elbow in the ribs from her wife, Callie finally stepped up, anxiously running her hand through her hair. "Look, Thomas, I'm just going to cut to the chase here. I. . ."_

_"Mami!"_

_"Callie!"_

_Completely brushing off her daughter and her wife, Callie stood toe-to-toe with the shorter boy, her hands now resting on the curve of her hips. "I just need you to know a little bit about the cargo you're carrying in your car with you," she informed, her voice slightly cracking. "She's precious, okay? So, NO speeding. NO showing off because you think you're cool. Hands always at ten and two, and never. . .NEVER take your eyes off the road. Got it?"_

_Thomas swallowed hard, his hazel eyes widening when he realized that Dr. Torres was not kidding with him in any way. "I. . .umm. . .yes. Dr. Torres. Ma'am. Your honor. I. . .umm. . .I-I-I. . .I got it."_

_Callie couldn't help but smirk at the nervousness she imposed on the seventeen year old boy, her demeanor softening when she finally turned to take Sofia into her arms. "I love you, mija. Have a good time."_

_Pulling away from Callie, Sofia fought the urge to roll her eyes at the over-protection of her mother, but thinking better of it, she moved toward her other mother. Hugging Arizona goodbye and waving at Olivia and Sam, she then stepped through the gate, softly closing it behind her._

_Watching the hinge click shut, Callie then leaned forward, the wind completely knocked out of her entire form. "I'm seriously gonna puke."_

* * *

><p><em>At precisely 11:01pm, Callie heard a key in the front door and, looking up from the SUDOKU puzzle in her hand, she smiled as Sofia made her way into the living room.<em>

_"Hey," Sofia greeted, sitting on the couch next to her mom as she pulled off her shoes. "Where's mom?"_

_Setting the newspaper to the side, Callie watched as her daughter removed her sweater, draping it over the arm of the sofa. "She got paged into the hospital right after you left. She should be home any minute, though."_

_Sofia nodded her head, tucking her legs beneath her to get more comfortable on the cushion nearest her mother and, after sitting in silence for several long moments, Callie finally decided to speak. "Did you have a good time?" she cautiously asked._

_Sofia shrugged her shoulders, picking up the blanket that was covering her mother's legs so she could cuddle up next to her. "It was okay, I guess," she answered, resting her head against Callie's shoulder. "Thomas is a little too. . .wimpy for me."_

_Callie smiled slightly, biting her bottom lip in an attempt to resist the urge to laugh at her daughter's response before wrapping her arm around her shoulders. Pulling the blanket more snuggly around them, she then handed Sofia the remote so she could find something for them to watch on the TV. _

_When her daughter settled on a repeat of Frozen on the Disney Channel, a movie she'd watched ad nauseum between the ages of three and four, Callie couldn't help but feel that maybe being the mother of a teenager wasn't so bad, after all. Their relationship was obviously changing, but Sofia clearly still loved her, still valued their time alone together, and Callie was perfectly okay with that._

* * *

><p>After assuring their children had eaten their fill of the barbecued feast Callie had created, she and Arizona sat side by side on a glider in their favorite spot in the garden and, with crickets and other nighttime creepy crawlers happily chirping and buzzing their own special tune, one fair hand grasped tightly to a caramel one as they watched Caleb approach them from inside the house.<p>

Nervously taking a seat in a chair across from them, he smiled, though the sigh that emanated from his chest proved his anxiety.

"Caleb. . ."

"Dr. Robbins, I'm sure you have a ton of questions," he quickly butted in, unable to stop himself. "And you definitely have that right. Sofia is your daughter, and I completely respect the fact that you and Dr. Torres most likely have some concerns about the fact that I want to marry her."

Arizona nodded her head, glancing between the young man and her wife. "Yes, Caleb. We do have some questions and concerns, like. . ."

"Like when do I plan to propose and how long I'd like to be engaged before the wedding, or-or-or how we'll support ourselves," he rattled off, scratching the side of his head as he watched one set of blue and one set of brown eyes widen in surprise at his nervously rambled interruption.

Anxiously shifting in his seat, Caleb then sighed, trying his best to compose himself in the face of his girlfriend's admittedly intimidating mothers. "Sorry. I'm sorry," he apologized, standing from his seat and beginning to pace around the stones of the patio beneath his feet. "It's just. . .the two of you, well. . .you make me _very_ nervous."

Arizona felt almost giddy at the thought; her mind immediately jumping to a time when Carlos Torres had scared the shit out of her but, choosing to spare the poor guy any further distress, she bit her bottom lip in a valiant attempt to keep a straight face.

Caleb apprehensively ran his hand over the top of his blonde hair and, inhaling a deep breath to try to calm himself, he sat back down. "I. . .I've been thinking of proposing sometime soon, but I don't want to get married until after we're finished with Med School," he finally offered.

"So, a year?" Callie asked, still holding her wife's hand.

Caleb nodded his head in affirmation. "And then, things are a little uncertain when it comes to residency but, I'm hoping that if we're married, we'll at least be able to get into residency programs in the same city. I know Sofia wants to stay at Hopkins, and I'd never ask her to give up her dream of being Chief Resident just like you were, Dr. Robbins, so. . .I'm willing to stay. I'm willing to do anything and everything in my power to make your daughter happy."

Callie and Arizona shared a poignant look, both pleased with his answer, but concerned all the same. Early in their own marriage, both women had travelled the path of desperately trying to make the other happy in the face of their own despair and, the fact that this young man was so willing to potentially make the same egregious mistake, was definitely a cause for concern.

"What about you, Caleb? What about what you want?" Callie asked, her tone sincere.

Caleb nervously squeezed his hands together as he considered his response. "To be completely honest, I. . .I'll be happy wherever Sofia is. She's the most important thing in my life, and I. . .I just never really had a dream like hers. I always wanted to be a doctor, and I worked hard to get where I am today, but other than that, I know that I'll be happy with any good residency program. As long as I'm with Sofia, I'll always be happy," he trailed off, swallowing hard. "I love your daughter, and I can't imagine my life without her. She's strong, and caring, and honorable. She's the best thing that's ever happened to me."

They sat in silence, Callie and Arizona staring at the blonde haired man who now refused to drop their gaze. "What about money? How do you plan to support yourselves through residency?"

"I've had a job since I was sixteen. Not because I had to, but because I wanted to, and umm. . ." he paused, attempting to clear his throat of the lump that had formed there. "My dad. . .he umm. . .he died when I was twelve and left everything to me. When I turned eighteen, the money became available to me but, instead of spending it, I've been investing ever since."

Callie glanced sidelong at her wife who now wore a strangely relieved, but saddened expression on her face. "I'm sorry to hear about your dad, Caleb," Arizona honestly whispered. "Sofia lost her own father before she was even two."

Caleb nodded, acknowledging his awareness of Mark's death. "Yeah, she and I have talked about it," he replied, his voice taking on a distinctively melancholy tone.

Callie shifted in her seat, refusing to falter in the tight grasp she held on Arizona's hand; the thought of Mark no longer invoked the insurmountable sadness deep inside her that it once had, but instead, knowing that Sofia still found it important to speak of the father she barely knew, made her extremely proud. "That had to be difficult for you," Callie commented, fighting the urge she now felt to gather the young man into her arms.

With a slight shrug of his broad shoulders, unwilling to let the death of his father get him down, Caleb continued. "Yes, in the beginning, but it happened a long time ago, and while I'd give anything to be able to talk to my dad just one more time and to introduce him to Sofia, I think his absence has made me stronger. More self-sufficient. More reliable and more mature."

Taking in his words, Arizona slowly released Callie's hand and, standing from the glider, she crossed the garden to take a seat next to him in a nearby chair. Leaning forward, she clasped her hands together in front of her, her elbow resting on her thighs. "You know Sofia is precious to us, right?"

"Yes, Dr. Robbins, I know," he softly replied with a nod of his head.

"And no matter what, she'll always be our little girl," Callie earnestly added.

Caleb once again nodded in respectful understanding. "Of course, Dr. Torres."

"But, we've been watching the two of you together, Caleb, and it's clear just how much you love each other, and not just that, but how much you respect and value being a part of one another's lives," Arizona stated, hesitantly reaching out to lay her palm against his arm. "And so, we. . .we'd like to give you our blessing in marrying Sofia."

Caleb looked almost shocked, a large dimpled grin breaking out onto his face, one that made him look more like an eight-year-old boy than a twenty-five year old man. "Really?" he asked, his bright blue eyes quickly flitting between his two future mothers-in-law.

Callie gave a tight nod of her head, her own lips curling into a megawatt smile. "Really," she answered.

With a happy grin on her face, Arizona took Caleb's hands into her own, holding them tightly. "Welcome to our family, Caleb," she honestly spoke. "But, if you ever hurt her. . .physically or emotionally. . .I swear to God, I won't hesitate to kill you with my own scalpel."

* * *

><p><strong><em>(Callie's POV)<em>**

_I remember very clearly when my kids were young, and the parenting advice that anyone would give was. . .they don't need a friend, they need a parent. Now that they're grown, however, I find that it's the opposite because, clearly, when the nest begins to empty, life changes. Those adorable silky-skinned little babies, once crying to be held and then contentedly nuzzling against my cheek, now need and crave freedom to explore life on their own, and like any adult, they don't want a micromanager choosing their playmates, fretting about how much sleep they get or worrying about how they spend their time. Instead, they're looking for the very thing I've always wanted to be, a wise and loving friend and mentor to all three of my amazing and miraculous children._

_But, how do I do that? How do I restructure our relationship so that I'm neither too involved, nor so hands-off that there isn't much of a relationship left at all? And right now, where Sofia is concerned, how do I go from being just a mother to an appropriately involved mother of the bride?_

_I've been to seemingly hundreds of weddings, heard hundreds of tearful parents say sweet, embarrassing, and sometimes cringe worthy things about their daughters and new sons-in-law, but for me, this process, this change in our relationship is so much more than that. So much more than reciting words about love, trust, happiness, and the longevity of marriage, but instead, actually meaning them. _

_How do I watch my daughter take this man's hand in marriage and actually let her go?_

_I'm sure this will be a momentous time in our lives, a beautiful and awe-inspiring occasion for Sofia, but also for myself and Arizona, as well. We will witness our little girl step into the full bloom of her womanhood, watching her as she stands on the precipice of an extraordinary transformation. We will be letting go of our little girl, releasing our beautiful daughter, watching her loosen ties to her family of origin so that she can begin a family of her own. And that. . .allowing our family to let go of her so that an entirely new family unit may be formed, may be the hardest part of all._

_But, I know Arizona and I are going to make this work. We are determined to be fluid in the changes that we know are around the corner, not rigid and unbending. At the same time, however, I know we need to remember that this period in our life is also a transition, a bittersweet time that may cause more than a few tears to be shed. _

_While we are ready to take on and embrace our new roles as 'advisors extraordinaire', we also know we need to be gentle with ourselves. We need to take time to grieve and reminisce while muddling through our new jobs as consultants and supporters instead of twenty-four/seven managers to not only Sofia, but to Olivia and Sam, as well._

_Loving our children and being loved by them has always been our ultimate goal, but no matter how much we love them, we do not own them or have the right to live their lives for them. Our task was to prepare them for life and to support them and, unfortunately, sometimes being supportive means stepping back and watching all three of them develop wings of their own. Just like we had to let go and watch them fall when they were learning to walk, we must now do the same thing. Our input and advice is no longer the rule of the house or written in stone, but instead. . .it has become nothing more than a tool, a part of what our children now may use to make important decisions in their lives._

_Growing up, Sofia, Olivia, and Sam lived under our roof and benefited from our provision for their needs, but now that they're young adults, the time has come to shift from the outgrown mother-dependent child mode to an emotionally healthy mother-friend mode and because of that, we are all taking our first steps into an utterly profound journey. _

_I know there will be ups and downs, bends in the road, and wrong turns along the beaten path, but we are all on this journey together. Arizona and I are committed to each other, to our children, and to this emotional migration, and we know it is going to be difficult, but letting go is the most benevolent thing we can do. _

_It won't be easy. It will take more than a little self-discipline, but our goal is nothing less than an adult-to-adult, friend-to-friend, equal-to-equal relationship between ourselves and our grown children._

_So, maybe we'll turn our energy to ourselves. Perhaps we'll do all those things we always wanted to do, but didn't have time for between carting kids to swim lessons, art classes, and football practice while at the same time nurturing both of our flourishing surgical careers. Maybe I'll surprise Arizona with a trip to Fiji or Spain, perhaps a cruise of the Caribbean or the Greek Isles. Maybe we'll buy a vacation home at Big Bear, Aspen, or even Martha's Vineyard, I don't know, but what I do know is that she and I have done our very best, and while Sofia, Olivia, and Sam still have a lot to learn, we've taught them as much as we can._

_And now, though it hurts my heart to even consider this option, it's time for me to join my wife and be a good man in a storm, as it is also time for our children to not only be who we raised them to be, but the beautiful, amazing adults they're bound to become on their very own._

_The time has come. . .for us to let them go._


	3. Chapter 3

**Title**: Perfectly Imperfect

**Author**: HandsThatHeal

**Pairing**: Callie/Arizona

**Rating**: M/NC-17 (For Future Chapters)

**Summary**: Big changes bring big upheaval as Callie and Arizona find themselves alone for the first time in years. Will they be able to happily adapt to this new life without their children under their roof or will they now find that they have nothing in common in the absence of the ties that bound them together for so many years? Sequel to Clarity.

**Disclaimer:** All television shows, books, movies, songs, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work and the characters, events, and settings thereof are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context and are not intended to be libelous, defamatory, or in any way factual.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Chapter Three<em>**

* * *

><p>"You'll call us when you get to Chicago. . ."<p>

"And then again from London. . ."

"And then when you finally get to Florence. . ."

Olivia didn't immediately reply, only offering an exaggerated roll of chocolate brown eyes at the rapid fire requests coming from both of her mothers. "Yes. Yes. . .and yes," she finally answered from her position standing next to Sam who had his arm wrapped around his older, but much shorter sister's shoulders.

Callie gave a tight nod, her eyes welling with the tears she'd only recently gotten to desist since Sofia and Caleb had boarded their own flight just three hours before. Letting go of Arizona's hand that she'd been holding for the greater part of the day, she slowly stepped forward, taking her youngest daughter into her arms. "I'm so proud of you, Olivia. You're just. . ." she trailed off with a shake of her head, wiping at her eyes when she pulled away.

Sensing her wife's distress, Arizona stepped forward, once again taking Callie's hand. "You're fantastic, sweetheart," she honestly spoke, finishing where her wife had left off.

Callie nodded her head in agreement, once again stepping up to take their daughter into her arms. "And even if you weren't one of the three most fantastic kids in the world, we'd still be proud of you," she finished, once again pulling back so Arizona could also hug their daughter goodbye.

"We're going to miss you so much," Arizona said against her daughter's shoulder.

Olivia swallowed hard, her own eyes now brimming with tears as she watched the somber emotions literally pour from both of her mothers, their every word and every action dripping with just how much they were going to miss her. "Me, too," she finally whispered as Arizona pulled away.

Callie reached out, her thumb brushing against a smooth caramel cheek to wipe away her daughter's tears. "Go be great," she stated with conviction, swallowing thickly.

Olivia nodded her head and, wiping at her own eyes, she hugged her brother before once again embracing first Arizona and then Callie. With a slight smile on her face, she then took several steps backward and, after adjusting the vintage style messenger bag hanging from her shoulder, she hesitantly turned around before disappearing into the bustling airport crowd.

* * *

><p><em><strong>(Flashback: 15 Years Ago)<strong>_

_"Mami! Mami! Mami!" Olivia shouted as she briskly ran through the Orthopedics Wing of Grey+Slown Memorial Hospital, excitedly searching for her mother._

_"Slow down, Olivia!" Arizona gently scolded from behind her. "You know there's no running in the hospital," she added, holding firmly to Sam's hand, his shorter legs struggling to keep up with his mother's as they made their way to meet up with the exuberant five-year-old girl._

_Hearing those familiar voices and the rapid tennis shoe covered footfalls of well-known little feet, Callie turned from the nurses' station just in time to feel her youngest daughter collide into the front of her legs. "Hey, you guys!" she happily greeted with a beaming megawatt smile. "What are you doing here?" she asked, leaning down to pick up three-year-old Sam from the tiled floor when he finally reached her._

_Arizona returned her wife's infectious smile, leaning forward to press a loving kiss against a flawless tanned cheek. "Olivia has big news, and she absolutely couldn't wait for you to get home to tell you," she informed with a proud smirk._

_Callie looked down, spotting a giant blue ribbon attached to a large piece of white sketch paper that Olivia held in her small hands. "I won, Mami!" the little girl exclaimed, excitedly shaking the paper in her mother's direction. "Look! Look! Ms. Pam said my painting is the bestest in the whole Kindergarten. She said I have real 'natular' talent."_

_With a gleam in her expressive chocolate eyes, Callie squatted down, resting Sam on her thigh as she took Olivia's painting and award into her own hand. "It's 'natural' talent, Liv," she softly corrected as she lovingly scrutinized the brilliant colors as if staring at Vincent van Gogh's 'Cafe Terrace at Night', her hand then reaching out to trace the juvenile, yet surprisingly immaculate brush strokes of red, blue, and yellow paint. "This is amazing, sweetheart!" she finally enthused, her fingertips lingering over a bright blue flower. "Can I keep it to hang in my office?"_

_Olivia didn't even have to think, her head excitedly nodding up and down as her dark ponytail, held back by a large purple bow, rapidly bobbed up and down. "Yes, Mami! I made it 'specially for you!"_

_Callie smiled brightly and, reaching out, she gathered Olivia into her arms, sandwiching Sammy between herself and the little girl._

_"Hey!" Arizona quickly jumped in. "What about me? Where's my prize winning portrait?" she asked, taking Olivia's hand as Callie made her way to her feet with Sam now situated on her hip._

_Olivia seemed to ponder her mother's question and, finally finding an answer that sufficiently suited her, her cherubic face lit with recognition. "You can have the next one."_

_Arizona playfully narrowed her eyes, biting the side of her jaw in mock consideration. "You promise?" she asked, squeezing her daughter's much smaller hand within her own._

_"Promise," she firmly stated with a nod of her head, taking Callie's hand into her free one._

_Looking from the child toward her wife, Arizona chuckled softly as she watched Callie blow raspberries against Sam's chubby cheek, the little boy laughing as she bounced him up and down. "Who wants ice cream before we have to pick up Sofia from her piano lesson?" Arizona asked, completely breaking her rule of no dessert before dinner._

_Callie glanced sidelong in Arizona's direction, shocked that her type-A-know-it-all-by-the-book-wife would break such a regulation and, with a chorus of 'me's' echoing from Olivia and Sam, Callie raised her eyebrow in question_

_The blonde only shrugged, pulling her wife and children toward the elevator. "Just one scoop."_

* * *

><p><em>Later that evening, with Sofia in the shower and Olivia and Sam already bathed and tucked snugly into their beds, Arizona entered the master bedroom to find Callie seated in the middle of the mattress, her long, yoga pant covered legs crossed and her iPad resting on top of them. "I think we should enroll Olivia in art classes," she said without looking up from the screen, her bottom lip held firmly between her teeth as she jotted something onto a pink legal pad.<br>_

_Settling herself onto the bed next to her wife, Arizona looked down at Callie's notes and then toward the screen._

_"I mean, did you take a good look at that painting? Like a really, really good look?" Callie rhetorically asked._

_"I did," Arizona breathed out, resting her head against Callie's shoulder._

_"And?" Callie questioned, finally glancing in her wife's direction._

_Arizona sighed, shrugging her shoulders as a proud smile gradually consumed her face. "It was. . .pretty amazing, Calliope. Beautiful."_

_A relieved breath left Callie's lips before quickly morphing into a laugh. "I know, right?" she vehemently replied through her obvious happiness. "I mean, I know she's our kid, Arizona, but. . ." she trailed off with a rueful shake of her head. "She's always been so different from Sofia. Don't get me wrong, you and I both know she's smart as a whip, but she's just not into the academic stuff. She's clearly our artistic one, and I really think we should help her embrace that."_

_Arizona nodded her head in agreement before pressing a kiss to the prominence of her wife's jaw. Callie was one hundred percent correct; their daughters were definitely polar opposites. Even though Sofia looked just like her biological mother, Arizona took great pleasure in the fact that her demeanor was quite similar to her own. At the age of ten, Sofia was definitely their type-A-know-it-all child. She generally had a meticulous plan even with the smallest of things and put great thought into everything before she chose to speak, but in the process, she sometimes held things in for way too long until they eventually came to a head._

_Olivia, on the other hand, was more like Callie. Even at the young age of five, it was clear that she wore her precious little heart on her sleeve. She spoke whatever she was feeling, good or bad, and she went after things full speed ahead without ever looking back. She'd been a passionate, hot-blooded little thing from the day she was born, despite her initial deficits, and there wasn't a day that had gone by in the less than two thousand days of her miraculous little life that she hadn't in some way figured out how to ruffle someone's feathers._

_Beyond Olivia's disposition, though, there was another clear difference between herself and her sister; while Sofia excelled in her school work, particularly Math and Science, Olivia was a child who had always demonstrated amazing artistic talent. That didn't mean she wasn't intelligent, however, because she really was. It was just obvious, even though she was merely in Kindergarten, that she much preferred to focus on drawing and creating than her ABC's and 123's._

_At the age of three, Sam's personality was still being formed, but according to Grammy and Pop Robbins, he was definitely 'all boy'. . .whatever that meant. He was cute as a freakin' button with unruly dark curls covering his head, a perfect baby and adorably precocious toddler who always had a ball or a truck or some sort of outdoor creature in his hand._

_"So, what do you think?" Callie asked when Arizona remained silent for way too long for her liking._

_Arizona smiled; the thought of their three phenomenal children never failing to bring a delighted smile to her face, an unexplainable fullness to her soul. "I completely agree," she finally replied, scooting back on the bed and taking her wife's iPad along with her. "What did you find?" she asked, making herself comfortable against the headboard as she scrolled down through the website on the screen._

_Callie moved to sit next to her wife, tapping her pen against the lined page of the note pad. "Thrive Art School. They offer year-round fine art classes for children and then camps in the summer. They not only teach them how to draw and paint, but develop creative problem solving skills, as well."_

_"As the premium provider of art education for children in the greater Seattle area, we are committed to providing high quality fine art instruction that empowers children with essential life skills to achieve success in school and in life," Arizona read aloud before searching the schedule of courses. "Looks like they have a class a half hour after Sofia's piano lesson. That would work out well. We could take one and then the other and then go back to pick them up. No problem."_

_As they continued to read through the information, Callie's hand found its way into Arizona's, her thumb caressing the back of an ivory hand. "This is going to be good for her, don't you think?" Callie softly asked._

_Glancing from the screen toward her wife, Arizona offered a smile before leaning forward to press a kiss against plump lips. "I think it's going to be great."_

* * *

><p>Nearly two weeks after that emotionally draining day when Callie and Arizona watched two of their three children board separate planes; one daughter and her boyfriend on their way to the complete opposite side of the country and the other daughter's destination an entirely different continent, Arizona sat alone in her office, her fingers tapping against the keys of her keyboard as she diligently looked over each surgical specialty's yearly budget. She'd been promoted to Chief of Surgery five years prior when Owen Hunt had decided to return to his military roots, taking the Chief of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery position at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.<p>

She loved her job, but it certainly could be a total pain in the ass. She had to admit, though, the decreased surgical workload was often a blessing in disguise, even though she still missed being in the thick of things. "Not gonna happen, Miranda Bailey," she mumbled to herself as she made a notation on the giant stack of papers in front of her before once again glancing toward the flatscreen monitor situated on her desk.

With her eyes crossing as the numbers and dollar signs began to blur, she deliberately rubbed at her temples to fend off the growing ache in her skull, though her face lit suddenly upon seeing that she had a notification for a Skype video call. Immediately minimizing the sadistic Excel spreadsheet she'd been staring at for way too many hours, she smiled when she realized the call request in the center of her screen was from one Olivia Robbins-Torres.

Happily clicking the camera icon, she adjusted her own camera as she impatiently waited for her daughter's beautiful face to materialize on the screen. "Hey, sweetheart," Arizona greeted with her signature dimpled grin when Olivia finally appeared. "This is a surprise."

Olivia smiled that heart stoppingly gorgeous smile Arizona had been addicted to since her daughter had first donned it at two months of age, before opening her mouth to speak. "Yeah, I know. I was just getting ready for bed, and was thinking. about home. So, I thought I'd give you a call."

Arizona's smile slowly faded, her blue eyes narrowing in concern. "Everything okay?" she asked, her tone soft and sincere. "You doing alright?"

Olivia nodded her head in affirmation, though her expressive brown eyes said otherwise. "Yeah, yeah. I'm good. I just thought we could. . .talk."

Arizona nodded her head, clearing her throat. "Of course we can. You know that. Let me just page mom," she stated, reaching for her phone.

"No!" Olivia immediately disputed, her eyes quickly widening, and then returning to their normal size when she realized what her demand insinuated. "I mean. . .well. . .it's not that I don't want to talk to her. I just. . .I don't want to bother her if she's busy, and I. . .well. . .I thought maybe I could just talk to you."

"Olivia. . ." Arizona breathed out. She and Callie had always dealt with anything and everything that had to do with their children as a team. She thought they had done a pretty damn good job of it for the past twenty-five years and refused to change things now.

Olivia sighed, nervously tucking long raven hair behind her ear. "It's just. . .I don't care what you say, I know she's still pissed at me. . ."

"She was never pissed," Arizona contended with a shake of her head. "How many times do we have to tell you that?"

"She was pissed."

"No. . ." Arizona immediately disputed, "just surprised. Because let's face it, babe. You've had art classes since the age of five; painting, sculpting, photography, and every other fine art in the entire world, Olivia, and mom and I have been nothing but supportive of that. You're the one who suddenly decided you might want to change your major. . .to medicine of all things. You're the one who changed the game, sweetheart, so cut her some slack. . .give your mom a little room to be shocked."

Olivia rolled her eyes, huffing at her mother, even though she knew she was right. "It's just. . ."

Arizona patiently waited for her daughter to continue, but watching as the younger woman's inner turmoil began to pour from her every feature, she decided to gently press for some sort of elaboration. "Why don't you tell me what's really going on. . ."

Olivia nervously shifted on the sofa she was seated upon and inhaling a deep breath, she then blew it out via pursed lips. "I. . .I'm just so tired of being. . .different. Sofia's just like you, and Sam is like the most flawless and spectacular human who has ever walked the face of the earth. And now, Sofia has Caleb, and he's like. . .perfect. They're all super smart and. . .gorgeous, and I. . .I'm just me."

Arizona was taken aback by her daughter's revelation; of course she knew her children were different in their own special ways, but never once had she heard any of them belittle themselves for being different than the others. "Olivia. . ."

"No, mom. It's okay. I've always been the strange one. Sofia and Sam are going to be amazing doctors just like you and Mami, and I'll always be the weirdo artist with nothing in common with the rest of my family," Olivia rambled, large tears beginning to well in her melancholy brown eyes. "It's fine. I get it. Let's just forget I said anything. It's no big deal."

Clearing her throat, Arizona swallowed hard against the lump that had taken up residence there. "Olivia. . .your mother and I love you just the way you are," she began, desperately wishing she could take her clearly struggling daughter into her arms and hold her until all the bad stuff disappeared. "And yes, Sofia may be a lot like me, but have you ever met Calliope Torres?" she ruefully asked with a smirk on her face. "You are and always have been so much like her, it's not even funny. You're amazing, Olivia. You're breathtakingly stunning. You're talented and smart. You are perfect just the way you are. You. Are. Great," she insisted, her own cerulean eyes now brimming with unshed tears.

Olivia wiped at her eyes, a shuddering breath leaving her lungs. "Mom. . ."

"You don't have to go to medical school to have things in common with your family, Liv. We'll love you no matter what you decide to do," Arizona adamantly continued. "We just want you to be happy, babe. That's all that matters to us. Your mom and I will be more proud of you for having the courage to follow your heart and your dreams than for doing what you think we want you to. We honestly don't care if you become a photographer, a painter, a doctor, a lawyer, or an Indian chief. You could have a husband or a wife, ten kids or no kids, and we would still love you and cherish you with all of our hearts. All we care about is that you know who you are, that you're happy, and that you stay true to who we raised you to be," she trailed off, momentarily gathering her thoughts. "Because you're miraculous, Olivia Grace Robbins-Torres. You have a beautiful heart, and you just need to follow it. Because. . .it will never lead you astray."

* * *

><p><strong><em>(Flashback: 12 Years Ago)<em>**

_"Momma, can I go take a picture of those flowers over there?" eight-year-old Olivia asked her mother who was seated upon the bleachers watching Sam's soccer game. "I promise I'll come right back."_

_Arizona turned to her left, smiling as she watched the little girl anxiously bounce up and down on the balls of her feet. Spring in Seattle was in full bloom, and though it was nearly sixty degrees, a chilly breeze made it feel much cooler._

_Nodding toward the miniature version of her wife, Arizona zipped up her own jacket a little higher before then wrapping her arms around herself to fend off the cold. "Yes, you can go. But come right back," she finally answered the excited little girl. "And button up your coat."_

_"Thanks, momma," Olivia replied, turning to run toward a patch of violets and Calypso orchids. "I'll be back in just a minute," she yelled over her shoulder, the digital camera 'Santa' had brought her for Christmas strapped securely around her neck._

_"Coat, Olivia! Button up!" Arizona called out as she stood from her seat. Watching to make sure her daughter did as she asked, she then sat back down, her attention moving back toward her son who was currently making his way down the field, a small, fluorescent swirled Adidas Brazuca soccer ball dribbled by his youthful, yet agile feet._

_"Hey, you!"_

_Glancing from the field to her right, Arizona beamed when she saw her wife making her way up the bleachers. "Hey!" she greeted, leaning over to welcome the other woman with a soft kiss against moist, plump lips. "How's Sof?"_

_Running her hands up and down her own arms to ward off the chill, Callie then wrapped one arm around her wife's waist, tugging her close. "Good. She's at the McDreamy's working on her Science Project with Zola. What did I miss?"_

_"Not much. Score's still zero-zero, and Olivia is off in the wildflowers being a nature photographer," she replied with a slight chuckle, pointing toward their youngest daughter who now stood snapping shots of Seattle's flora and fauna; birds, trees, butterflies, shrubs, and flowers._

_Callie followed the direction of her wife's outstretched arm in search of their youngest daughter, but before she could spot her, she nearly fell off the aluminum bleachers when Arizona jumped up from her seat._

_"Pass the ball, Sam!" the blonde yelled, clapping her hands in rapid succession when he did as she instructed before dodging a defender and making his way closer to the goal._

_Callie smirked at her wife's outburst, tugging at the back pocket of her jeans to keep her from embarrassing their son. "Sit down, babe," she urged, once again wrapping her arm around her when she did so._

_Never taking her eyes off the game, Arizona leaned into Callie's embrace, enjoying the precious time spent together and the warmth her body produced. "He needs to. . ."_

_"YES!" they both cheered, bouncing up from their seats when Sam's kick made its way past the goalie and into the net._

_The two proud moms then shared an over the top high five, a hip check, followed by an exuberant hug, their well rehearsed hand shake of celebration. Soon settling back down to giddily continue watching the game, they laced their fingers together, assuming their usual game-time positions._

_"Hey there, big girl!" Callie called when Olivia made her way back to the bleachers. "Having fun?"_

_Their little nature explorer in an adorable khaki peacoat adamantly nodded her head, accepting Callie's outstretched hand to help her up the stands. "Tons of fun, mami!" the little girl practically squealed when her mother gathered her onto her lap, tickling her sides in the process. "Let me show you all of my pictures."_

* * *

><p><em>"Callie?" Arizona called as she searched through the downstairs of their home. The kids had been tucked into bed for a little over an hour and, having just stepped out of the shower herself, she really needed to find her wife. "Where are you?"<em>

_Finding Callie nowhere inside their home, she then opened the kitchen door leading onto the the back patio, finally spotting her AWOL wife seated on a double chaise lounge in their favorite spot in the garden. With a small flame lit in the wood burning fire pit, Callie pensively watched the embers pop and crackle, a far off look in her eyes._

_Momentarily studying her gorgeous wife who sat nestled beneath a thick quilt, a steaming mug of what she assumed was her favorite dark hot chocolate held between her hands, Arizona found herself intoxicated by the sight. "Hey! There you are," she happily greeted when she finally made her way across the stone pavers leading to the open area surrounded by the multitude of perennials they'd planted over the years; clusters of crocus, deep red and bright yellow irises, hostas with beautiful variegated foliage, peonies of nearly every possible color in the world._

_Without a word, Callie smiled, moving the mug to her left hand, the glazed ceramic clinking against her wedding ring as she lifted the blanket with her other hand, inviting her wife to join her._

_Happily snuggling in next to the love of her life, Arizona quickly commandeered the zebra striped mug, stealing her own sip of liquid decadence before returning it to her wife's now empty hands. "You okay out here?" she asked, cuddling closer to Callie, settling slightly behind her to securely wrap both arms around a curvaceous waist._

_Callie turned her head to the side, kissing her wife's temple before resting her chin on her shoulder. "Yep," she simply answered, nuzzling her nose against an alabaster jaw bone. "But I'm much better now that you're here."_

_Arizona smiled, offering her wife a sly wink before leaning forward to take moist lips in a gentle kiss and, slowly pulling back, she then pecked at a caramel cheek, a look of remembrance lighting her face as her eyes went wide. "Oh, I almost forgot. I need to show you something," she stated, reaching into the pocket of her hooded sweatshirt to produce a small camera from within. "Look at these pictures Olivia took today."_

_Handing over her mug, Callie took the device into her hands, tapping the display with her thumb. Tipping her head to the side, she searched through the photos of plants and animals that Olivia had shown her earlier that day, pausing when she came to several black and white stills of six-year-old Sam in multiple different positions of play on the soccer field. "These are really good," she whispered, continuing to make her way through the digital images._

_"Keep going, you haven't gotten to my favorite one, yet," Arizona insisted, admiring each passing picture._

_Callie smiled, her thumb tapping away, but paused when she came to the photo she was sure her wife was referring to._

_In this black and white image, Callie and Arizona sat together on the bleachers, both staring adoringly at each other, the range of gray hues yielding a rich, yet subtle shading to the intimate moment the two had shared. "Wow. I didn't even know she took this," Callie mused, continuing to admire the monochromatic likening of herself and her stunning wife. "We look pretty damn good for our age," Callie teased, nudging Arizona with her shoulder._

_Arizona playfully swatted her wife before settling back against the chaise, burrowing her way into the shelter of Callie's warmth. "That one's definitely going into a frame."_

* * *

><p>Gazing down at the photo of herself and her wife that their then eight-year-old daughter had taken so many years before, Arizona sighed, replaying the conversation she'd just had with Olivia over and over again in her head. She couldn't believe her youngest daughter was feeling so dejected, so out of place, so confused and disheartened by the direction in which her life was heading and, deciding she really needed to discuss it with her wife, she hesitantly stood from her desk, stretching her stiff muscles and joints as she rose.<p>

Straightening a few items on her desk and assuring that her favorite picture was arranged in the proper position next to her monitor, she made her way around her desk.

But before she could reach for the knob of her closed office door, it suddenly burst open, an excited and out of breath Callie instantly appearing before closing and locking the door behind her.

"Hey! I was just coming to find you," Arizona stated with a smile.

Callie chuckled softly, reaching forward to grab her wife by the lapels of her lab coat, pulling her forward into a hard kiss. "God, I love you," the taller woman breathlessly uttered once she finally allowed a pause in the intimate joining of their lips for gasps of much needed air. Leaning back in, she quickly engaged her wife's lips in a softer, but no less passionate kiss, her hands wandering to the swell of two still magnificent breasts.

"What's gotten into you, Calliope?" Arizona asked in confusion, glancing down her own body to watch her lab coat slip over her shoulders and then down her arms to land in a white pool surrounding her feet. "Someone's happy," she remarked, smirking in amusement and quickly escalating arousal.

Callie nodded her head, fiddling with the hem of her wife's navy blue scrub top. "Oh, I am happy. I am very, very happy," she answered, tugging the garment up and over her wife's head in one swift and well-practiced movement. "'Cuz I have news, Arizona. Big, _BIG_ news."


	4. Chapter 4

**Title**: Perfectly Imperfect

**Author**: HandsThatHeal

**Pairing**: Callie/Arizona

**Rating**: M/NC-17 (For Future Chapters)

**Summary**: Big changes bring big upheaval as Callie and Arizona find themselves alone for the first time in years. Will they be able to happily adapt to this new life without their children under their roof or will they now find that they have nothing in common in the absence of the ties that bound them together for so many years? Sequel to Clarity.

**Disclaimer**: All television shows, books, movies, songs, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work and the characters, events, and settings thereof are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context and are not intended to be libelous, defamatory, or in any way factual.

**AN**: To clear up a little confusion...there were ten chapters of this story posted when I took it down. So, anything past Chapter Ten will be all new! Not much further to go until we get there! Thanks for bearing with me through these reposts.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Chapter Four<em>**

* * *

><p>An hour after their hasty, but incredibly satisfying and romantic tryst on the couch in Arizona's office, Callie sat in the passenger's seat of their grey Range Rover, her body bouncing up and down in delight as she continued to stare at the typed words on the letter she held in her hands.<p>

"The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons would like to extend its personal congratulations to you on the selection of your research study entitled Septic Arthritis of the Spine in Children: An Evidence-Based Approach to Improving Clinical Effectiveness as this year's recipient of the Winston-Lanier Award for Research Excellence. . ." Callie read from the sheet before letting out a girlish giggle as she did a ten-second happy dance in her seat. "Can you even believe it, Arizona? They picked our research. We won!"

With her hands on the steering wheel, Arizona glanced sidelong at her wife, the infectious smile that was consuming the other woman's face, completely impossible to not reciprocate. "We make a good team, Calliope. You know that," she teasingly replied with a quick wink.

Callie once again giggled like a schoolgirl as she reached out to rest her hand atop her wife's thigh. "Of course I know that, but the fact that others think so, too is just. . ."

"Amazing, Calliope. It's amazing," Arizona quickly continued for her as she brought the vehicle to a halt at a stop sign only a block from their house.

Fully turning to face the other woman, she then reached out, brushing a wisp of dark bangs back from a caramel face. "You and I are. . .amazing."

Callie laughed excitedly before leaning across the center console to press an adamant kiss against perfect pink lips. "Mmm. . ." she hummed against her wife's mouth. "This is going to be great. You and me. Key West. For five days. Alone," she suggestively husked, one perfectly manicured eyebrow seductively rising before its mate joined in to begin comically wagging up and down.

Arizona playfully rolled her eyes. "Yeah. Alone. With hundreds of other surgeons," she scoffed as she turned from her wife, placing her foot on the accelerator to navigate them safely down the street and into their driveway. Pulling the car into the garage, she then turned the key in the ignition before looking back toward Callie, a sigh leaving her lips.

Studying the look of uncertainty in stormy blue eyes, Callie's face slowly fell, her megawatt smile morphing into a look of sincere concern. "Hey. You okay?" she asked, meticulously folding their award letter and placing it back in the envelope it had arrived in. "You don't seem very happy about all of this."

Arizona shook her head, reaching over the gear shift to take both of Callie's hands into her own. "It's not that. I swear," she immediately contended. "I'm happy, Calliope. So, so happy. The two of us winning an award for a successful research study that we worked on together. . .that's awesome, honey. So, so awesome," she replied, her lips tugging into a slight grin. "It's just. . .I don't mean to be a downer, but I need to talk to you. About Olivia."

Callie immediately felt all the happiness and pride she'd been feeling for the past two hours leave her body in one fell swoop, her face draining of color at the uncertain tone of her wife's voice. "What happened? Is she okay?"

Waving her off, Arizona nodded her head. "Yeah, she's fine. She's safe. It's nothing like that," she quickly replied, mentally chastising herself for how her initial statement concerning their daughter may have sounded. "She called me earlier today, and I. . .well, I have to admit that I was a little surprised by what she said."

Sighing, Callie swallowed hard. "What? What is it?"

Relaying the conversation she'd engaged in with their daughter mere hours before, Arizona found herself feeling much better just by getting all of it off her chest. ". . .so, then I told her that she has a beautiful heart just like you and that she needs to follow it."

Callie smiled at her wife's sentiment, adjusting herself in the seat of the SUV when her back began to ache from the awkward angle she'd been sitting in for far too long. "That sounds like a very Robbins-esque thing to say," she replied with a smirk, chuckling when Arizona rolled her eyes. Glancing at the digital clock on the dashboard, she then did the quick mental math necessary to realize that it was way too late in Italy to call their daughter that night. "I'll call her tomorrow to hopefully reassure her of everything you said. I know I was a little harsh when she told us about med school, and. . ."

"No. You weren't harsh. Just surprised. We both were," Arizona immediately replied in their defense.

"Either way, I want to talk to her," Callie stated, grabbing her purse from the floor of the car. "But, for now, can we go inside? You and I have a lot more celebrating to do."

* * *

><p>After depositing their purses and work bags on a shelf near the door, both women made their way through the foyer and into the living room. "Hey, bud," Arizona called when she saw Sam seated on the couch, stacks of papers and folders strewn out on the coffee table in front of him as he typed on his laptop.<p>

Turning around, Sam smiled to greet his mothers. "Hey," he replied.

Taking a seat next to him on the sofa, Callie picked up a sheet of paper with the University of Washington's logo on the top. "What's all this?" she asked, quickly scanning the page.

"It's my UW admissions stuff. I just wanted to make sure I have everything ready," he replied, closing the computer and setting it to the side.

Arizona's hands immediately made their way to her temples, attempting to rub away the tension that had been gathering there for most of the day. "Ugh. . .can we please not talk about you leaving?" she begged, throwing herself down on the opposite side of their son. "I still have another month with you before you leave for college, so we're just not going to talk about it. At least not tonight."

Callie tipped her head to the side, regarding her wife with an empathetic smile. "Nope. Not tonight. Because we're going out to celebrate," she insisted, pushing her son's big feet to the floor from where they rested on the coffee table. "Go get changed. We're leaving in fifteen minutes."

Sam glanced between his mothers, a curious gleam in his chocolate brown eyes. "What are we celebrating?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

Callie and Arizona shared a look of love and adoration, but before Arizona could speak, Callie beat her to it. "Life, love, success, and. . .transitions," she spoke, her eyes never leaving the bright blue ones of her wife.

Sam's brow furrowed in confusion, his head rotating from side to side to thoughtfully regard both of his moms. "You two are being weird," he said with a coy smirk before dodging the arms that came flying toward him. "Okay, okay! Stop!" he beseeched with a deep laugh, ducking and covering his head to ward off his assailants.

Finally jumping up off the sofa, he ran toward the stairs, his eyes twinkling with mischief as he watched his moms topple onto each other in his absence. "I'll be right back," he stated before turning to jog up the steps.

Callie and Arizona watched as the young man disappeared, each woman's heart and soul filling with a profound sense of proud, but afflicted nostalgia as they considered the fact that in just one more month, their once amorously full and lovingly boisterous home would essentially be empty save for themselves. "God, I'm going to miss him," Arizona breathed out, leaning back agaisnt her wife's front.

Callie sighed, wrapping her arms around the smaller woman to hold her close. "Where has the time gone?"

* * *

><p><strong><em>(Flashback: 19 and a Half Years Ago)<em>**

_Sitting in the middle of their living room floor surrounded by boxes and gift bags and shreds of tattered brightly colored wrapping paper, Arizona picked up a pile of torn tissue paper, stuffing it to the bottom of a large black garbage bag. "What are we going to do with all this stuff?" she groaned, wadding a bunch of Disney Princess wrapping into a ball and tossing it into the trash._

_"This is what the playroom is for," Callie mused, adding another item to her list so they could send thank you cards to what seemed like the one million people who had attended Olivia's first birthday party earlier that day. "That's one of the reasons we bought this house, right?. Tons of room."_

_Continuing to clean up the mess the now sleeping birthday girl had made with the wrapping paper, ribbons, and bows of the colossal amount of gifts their guests had showered upon her, Arizona smiled brightly as she looked through all the 'Big Girl' toys and clothes Olivia had received._

_Holding up one ridiculously cute teal dress with white polka dots and a matching headband, she inspected it for several long moments and, before her brain could catch up to her mouth, she excitedly turned toward her wife. "Let's have a baby," she happily blurted out, a large dimpled grin consuming her entire face as her eyes twinkled with delight._

_Callie's own eyes immediately went wide upon hearing her wife's statement, her mind going completely blank. "What? Wait, wait. What?" she exclaimed in astonishment, wholly unable to prevent a megawatt smile from lighting her own face. "Are you serious?"_

_"Sofia's already six, Calliope, and Olivia's one. They're not babies anymore. They're growing up so fast, and wouldn't it be nice to do it at least one more time?"_

_"Yes! Yes! But umm, I. . ."_

_"And, you know, I could carry this time," Arizona offered without a second thought upon reading her wife's hesitation. "I'm not comfortable with, nor do I think it would be safe for you to be pregnant again, anyway," she added, her mind now working in overdrive, the thoughts in her brain soaring a mile a minute._

_Tipping her head to the side, Callie studied her wife's face in complete shock and awe. "Arizona. . ."_

_"So. . .you want to?" she cheerfully questioned._

_"Yes!"_

_"Yeah?"_

_"Oh my God! Yes!"_

* * *

><p><em>With the hustle and bustle of life as two working moms with two darling little girls, nearly two weeks passed before Callie and Arizona had a decent amount of time alone to sit down and actually talk about the prospect of having a third child.<em>

_Neither woman was sure of the other's true thoughts on the issue; Callie was worried that Arizona had only spewed out her want for another child in the midst of suddenly realizing that Olivia was no longer a baby, and Arizona was worried that Callie may not have actually taken her seriously in the first place. But, Arizona was determined to settle the issue tonight and, after tucking Sofia into her bed and Olivia into her crib, she quickly made her way through the master bedroom and into the bathroom._

_Starting the water in the large garden tub, she then grabbed a bottle of Callie's favorite bubble bath from the shelf on the wall, pouring more than enough of the intoxicating eucalyptus and vanilla scented liquid into the stream of flowing water._

_Placing and then lighting several candles around the lip of the tub, she turned off the overhead lights before removing her t-shirt and pushing her yoga pants and panties down her legs. Taking a seat on the edge of the tub, she removed her prosthesis before slipping down into the lusciously scented water below._

_Lounging with her back against the wall of the tub, she waited for Callie to come upstairs from cleaning the kitchen after dinner, allowing herself this time alone to gather her thoughts._

_"Arizona?" Callie called into the bedroom after Arizona had spent several long moments of silent contemplation considering all their options for having another baby. "Hey! There you are," Callie spoke, entering the bathroom door._

_Arizona smiled, reaching forward to turn off the spray of water from the faucet. "Care to join me?" she asked, extending her arm to reach for her wife's hand._

_Callie returned Arizona's smile, one eyebrow quirked high in the air and, without a word, she immediately removed her clothing, bending at her waist to peck at inviting lips before sliding down into the suds._

_Settling her back against Arizona's chest, she shimmied her hips backward until her bottom came in contact with the welcoming apex of two ivory thighs. "This was a good idea," Callie said as a sigh left her lips, the warmth of the water penetrating her tired muscles as the soothing scent of the bubble bath worked wonders to relax her soul. "I knew I married you for a reason," she teased, running her palm down the length of the slim leg that tightly wrapped around the right side of her body._

_"Twice," Arizona jokingly replied, her arms snaking around Callie's breasts to envelope her slick body from behind._

_"Best decisions of my life," Callie whispered, turning her head to press a gentle kiss against Arizona's mouth, her tongue immediately sweeping against a delicious bottom lip, requesting entrance in order to deepen the passionate joining of their lips._

_Allowing her the intimate privilege, Arizona's tongue joined that of her wife, engaging in the intrinsically personal dance they'd perfected years ago. "Mmmm. . ." the smaller woman hummed, reluctantly pulling away from the most glorious mouth she'd ever had the privilege of kissing. "I've been thinking. . ." she husked, nuzzling her nose against a flawless cheek._

_"Mmmhmm?" Callie huskily hummed, her lips and teeth nipping at the side of Arizona's neck._

_"I think I should be implanted with your eggs," Arizona spoke without pretense._

_Callie leaned back in surprise, aroused chocolate eyes searching serious bright blue and, finding nothing but honesty, love, and conviction in those beautiful cerulean pools, she hesitantly nodded her head. "Okay," she simply replied, realizing their conversation had quickly changed from sexy to serious._

_"And, if it's possible, I think we should use the same donor we had for Olivia."_

_Callie's brow furrowed in question, unsure of why Arizona would make such a request._

_Sensing her wife's hesitation, Arizona shifted in the tub, her leg releasing Callie from its confinement, allowing the other woman to move to the opposite side of the tub to better see her wife. Skimming through the warm water and mountain of bubbles, Callie then reached forward, taking two alabaster hands into her own._

_Feeling ready to have this conversation, to voice her thoughts, Arizona scooted forward, a splash of water hitting the tiled floor. "It's just. . .if we artificially inseminate me, we will always have that one child who is a little different, and while as a mother I know that would NEVER change the way either of us feel about our babies, the doctor and scientist inside me wants them all to be genetically related. For medical reasons. That way, they will all three share your genetics, because if a new baby would be biologically mine, he or she wouldn't have any genetically related siblings. . .in the event any medical problem would arise," Arizona explained, her eyes suddenly welling with unexplained tears._

_Callie tipped her head to the side, studying her wife's face and, gently wiping at a trail of moisture that escaped Arizona's eye with the pad of her thumb, she smiled thoughtfully at the amount of earnest attention and devoted introspection the woman in front of her always put into every decision they made about their kids._

_And this woman seriously thought she wasn't cut out to be a mom?_

_"I'm not going to argue your logic, sweetie, but what about Sofia? If Olivia and a new baby have the same biological mom and dad, won't that make her that one child who is a little different?" Callie asked, gently squeezing Arizona's hands._

_Arizona nodded in appreciation of Callie questioning remark. "Yeah, but Sofia's always going to be different, not that we treat her that way, but. . .she actually had a dad, Calliope. At least for a little while, and well. . .any man can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a dad," she affectionately stated, biting the side of her jaw in an attempt to hold further tears at bay. "We can't change the fact that Sofia is Mark's, nor would I ever want to, it's just. . ." she trailed off, shaking her head as she tried to gather her thoughts._

_Clearing her throat and then swallowing hard, she finally organized the words swarming in her head enough to continue. "DNA certainly doesn't make a family. Love does, Calliope. Our perfect little family is proof of that, but. . .the overprotective mom in me just doesn't see why - if we can - we wouldn't use the same donor for in vitro this time around."_

_Callie once again searched Arizona's face, in complete amazement that she was having this conversation with her wife, that they were actually considering the prospect of adding another child to their family, and that Arizona was insistent upon carrying the baby, nonetheless. "So. . .you really want to do this?" she finally asked, overjoyed by the thought of bringing a new little life into the world, but completely at a loss of what else to say._

_Arizona smiled, reaching forward to rest her palms against the sides of Callie's face and, tugging her forward, she answered her with a hard kiss. Pulling back only far enough to gaze into now tearful chocolate eyes, she smiled, continuing to hold on to her wife. "Yes, Calliope. More than anything."_

* * *

><p><em>Standing at the table in the center of OR2, Callie took the leg of her patient into her hands, flexing the knee, torquing it and stressing it to assure that the femoral and tibial prostheses she's just implanted were sufficiently placed for a successful knee replacement. Satisfied that everything was in its proper position, she held out her right hand, ready to close. "5-0 Monocryl," she requested, her right palm up to await the needle and suture combination.<em>

_"Dr. Torres, your phone is vibrating," the circulating nurse stated, glancing down at the iPhone on a surgical tray._

_"Who is it, Melanie," Callie asked, her voice calm and steady as she began suturing the deep tissue of her patient's knee._

_"It's Dr. Robbins," Melanie replied._

_At that response, Callie's eyes twinkled behind the goggles she was wearing. "Put her on speakerphone, please," she beseeched, finishing the deep tissue and beginning to stitch the superficial layer of skin. "Hello there, Dr. Robbins," she teased, looking up at the nurses standing around her, a smile obvious behind her surgical mask. "Can I help you with something?"_

_A soft chuckle echoed through the speaker before Arizona's voice filled the Operating Room. "Are you in surgery? You sound funny," she replied, the muffled sound of Sofia singing in the background resonating through the phone._

_"Yeah, but this is my last one of the day. Almost finished, too. Stapling the knee, now," she informed, the unmistakable sound of staples shooting from a skin stapler meeting Arizona's ears._

_"Okay. . ."_

_Callie narrowed her eyes upon hearing her wife's ambiguous response and, tugging off her surgical gown, she made her way closer to her phone. "Everything alright?" she asked, a hint of worry in her voice._

_"Yeah, umm. . .everything's great, but I just got a call from Dr. Roberts. It looks like today is the day."_

* * *

><p><em>After making sure that Sofia was picked up from school and that she and Olivia were safely settled in the daycare of Grey+Sloan Memorial, Callie and Arizona quickly made their way to OB.<em>

_Callie protectively held Arizona's hand as they walked and then while they waited, only letting go long enough to allow her wife to change from her street clothes and into a hospital gown._

_Once Arizona had hopped up onto the examination table and positioned herself comfortably on her back, her hand immediately gravitated back into that of her wife. "God, I'm nervous. I can't believe I'm so nervous," Arizona breathed out, azure eyes flicking to dark brown._

_Callie leaned in and, with her lips lightly brushing Arizona's skin, she soothingly whispered into her ear. "It's okay, sweetie. I'm here for you, and I'm not going anywhere."_

_Arizona closed her eyes, swallowing thickly as she gave a tight nod._

_"Good evening, ladies," Dr. Roberts greeted as she made her way into the room. "Are we ready for this?" she asked, taking a seat on the stool at the foot of the exam table._

_Callie looked toward her wife, searching her face for any ounce of hesitancy that may be present, but finding none, she pressed a gentle kiss against an ivory cheek. "You ready?" she asked._

_Arizona smiled and reaching up to wipe at a tear that dripped out of the corner of her left eye, she adamantly nodded her head._

_Returning her wife's smile with a megawatt grin, Callie then turned her attention toward their fertility specialist. "We're ready," she declared with a nod of her own head._

_The doctor too nodded, her gloved hands now moving over the accouterments necessary for the procedure. "So, we've obviously already harvested the embryos from you, Dr. Torres and then we fertilized them in the lab," she began, looking up toward Callie and Arizona. "We actually had a number of good quality embryos, so right now, it's up to you to decide how many you'd like to implant."_

_Arizona turned her head, cerulean eyes meeting chocolate brown. They'd talked about this at length and after researching the procedure and reading case study after case study, both women finally decide that two was enough, but three was too many. "Two, please," Arizona finally replied after seeing the affirmative nod of her wife's head._

_"Two it is," Dr. Roberts replied, her hands expertly working to draw up the most viable embryos before passing a long thin catheter into Arizona's body. Once she was finished, she cleared the area of her instruments before settling herself back down on a stool next to her patient and her wife. "I want you to limit your activity for the rest of today, and continue to take your prescribed medications," she instructed, handing a sheet of paper with recommendations to Callie. "In five days, we'll do a blood test to monitor your hormone levels, and in about a week and a half, we'll do a pregnancy test."_

_Callie and Arizona both nodded their understanding, Arizona's hand grasping her wife's as if it was somehow tethering her to the earth. "Thank you, Dr. Roberts," Callie spoke when the specialist stood from her seat._

_"It's no problem," she replied, making a notation in Arizona's chart. "Be careful getting off the table, and take as long as you need. If you have any questions, you know where to find me."_

_When the doctor was out of sight, Callie leaned down toward Arizona's face, placing a slow and lingering kiss against pink lips before she moved downward, lifting the hospital gown to expose her wife's flat belly. "Listen up in there," she stated before pressing gentle kisses against the smooth skin surrounding her wife's belly button._

_Chuckling softly, Arizona glanced downward, glistening brown eyes twinkling with mirth when they met her own before looking back toward her abdomen. "Just so you know, I'm your Mami, and I would really like for you to do what you're supposed to do in there, and grow big and strong. I love you, sweet baby, and I promise to always protect you."_

* * *

><p>"It feels pretty nice to have a chauffeur," Callie commented from the back seat of their SUV, her hand firmly held in Arizona's as Sam navigated the vehicle through the streets of Seattle on their way home from A La Bonne Franquette. After enjoying a meal with their son at their favorite French restaurant, Sam had requested the keys to the car, stating that his award winning mothers definitely deserved to be chauffeured around town at least for one night.<p>

Slowing the vehicle to a stop, Sam glanced into the rear view mirror, rolling his eyes and clearing his throat. "Do you really have to do that in my presence?" he asked upon seeing Arizona lean closer to Callie, their lips coming in contact for a series of gentle kisses.

Pulling back, Arizona glanced toward the front of the car, catching Sam's chocolate brown eyes in the rear view mirror. "Why, yes. Yes, we do," she commented, turning back to once again peck at plump lips.

Glancing up at the light that remained red, he shook his head. "So gross," he grumbled, placing his foot on the gas pedal to accelerate the car when the light finally turned green. Carefully moving through the intersection, the flash of bright lights to the left of the car caught his attention, the sound of a truck's engine not ten feet away from his window penetrating his mind.

Time seemed to slow to a crawl when Arizona and Callie too realized that the truck's lights were way too close, and as their bodies stiffened in anticipation of the metal on metal impact, Sam slammed on the brakes, their tires squealing as the truck swerved around their SUV, narrowly missing them before speeding away.

Swallowing hard, Sam nervously squeezed the steering wheel and, glancing in his mirrors and out the windows to make sure there were no other vehicles coming his way, he once again pressed his foot against the gas. "You okay?" he asked when he heard one of his mothers let out a shuddering sigh.

Callie and Arizona shared a poignant look, both overwhelmed by a haze of fear and over-protection for their little boy. With a silent, but overwhelming message transferring between them, they both nodded, ultimately realizing that their only son whom they vowed to love and protect for as long as they lived, was actually now a grown man and that somewhere along the way their roles had reversed.

Sam was, in fact, the one who had just safeguarded them. . .

* * *

><p><em><strong>(Arizona's POV)<strong>_

_As a pediatric surgeon, I've witnessed a vast array of parenting strategies and techniques from the thousands of parents I've come into contact with during my career. While some parents are rigid, ruling with an iron fist, others are more lenient, creating a unique style of parenting from a combination of factors that evolve over time as children develop their own personalities and move through life's stages. Parenting styles are usually effected by both the parents' and children's temperaments and are largely based on what we've learned from our own parents; some of those strategies we value and hold onto for dear life, while others we completely discard._

_As parents, Calliope and I have generally leaned more toward effective communication, routine and structure when it comes to parenting, and while we've always vowed to love and protect our kids, we learned a long time ago that all the love, wisdom, affection, and preperation in the world can't always keep them out of harm's way. Through some trial and a few errors, we also learned that sometimes we had to let Sofia, Olivia, and Sam fail in order to allow them to find out who they really are, to allow them to gain independence, and to live up to their highest possible potential._

_Callie and I have always chosen to deal with our children together as a team, and thank God because sometimes without the presence of the other to talk us down, we would have been a complete mess. At times, when one of us may have tried to be over-protective in certain situations, the other thankfully was there to rationalize the circumstances and talk it out, preventing the other from jumping the gun out of irrational thoughts or fears. But, sometimes that was more difficult than it seemed, because we love our kids and want to protect them from every danger._

_I mean. that's our job, right? To keep them safe, while somehow finding a balance of not rescuing too quickly?_

_By over-protecting, we inadvertently remove the need for our children to navigate hardships and solve problems on their own; we give them a crutch so they never have to learn to solve their own problems and, thinking back to all the 'firsts' our children have achieved and our reactions to the situations, I can't help but chuckle at some of our behavior._

_Like, Sofia's first time jumping off the diving board. I wanted to climb that ladder right along with her. I wanted to hold her hand the entire time to assure her safety, even though she'd had swimming lessons for the entire three years prior. Or, the first time Olivia wanted to take off the training wheels on her bike at the age four. Callie was a total wreck; she didn't want to chance it with our baby being so young, but just like with most things she'd ever tried, Olivia was a total natural._

_Even though these may seem like silly 'firsts', they were all steps in our children's growing process, all proof that they were no longer dependent upon Callie or me for every single thing, and tonight, in the blink of an eye, I witnessed another harrowing 'first'._

_When I saw those headlights careening toward us, I wanted to somehow transport myself into the front seat to take the wheel. But, in the end, Sam handled himself like a pro in a scary and life-threatening situation for the first time ever and, in that moment, I realized that he didn't need help from either Callie or me. He behaved with a cool head, a clear and concise mind. Somewhere along the way, Sam had became our protector and, just thinking about that, leaves me at a complete loss for words._

_When exactly did our baby boy transition into a man?_


	5. Chapter 5

**Title**: Perfectly Imperfect

**Author**: HandsThatHeal

**Pairing**: Callie/Arizona

**Rating**: M/NC-17 (For Future Chapters)

**Summary**: Big changes bring big upheaval as Callie and Arizona find themselves alone for the first time in years. Will they be able to happily adapt to this new life without their children under their roof or will they now find that they have nothing in common in the absence of the ties that bound them together for so many years? Sequel to _Clarity_.

**Disclaimer**: All television shows, books, movies, songs, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work and the characters, events, and settings thereof are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context and are not intended to be libelous, defamatory, or in any way factual.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter Five<strong>_

* * *

><p>"I'm fine, mom. I promise," Sam grumbled.<p>

With his mothers following closely behind him as they made their way through the foyer and into the kitchen after their near collision with a speeding truck, he just needed a moment alone. A moment to process without them hovering over him.

Arizona nodded her head in understanding, though she continued to follow him. "Do you want to talk about it? Because if you. . ."

"It's fine. We're alive. It's all good," Sam interrupted, reaching into the refrigerator to grab a bottle of water. "It's over. Okay?" he said, his tone dripping with an air of finality to the conversation as he shut the refrigerator door.

Quickly making his way through the kitchen and up the stairs in the direction of his bedroom, he thought to turn around and apologize, but decided to just leave it at that.

Watching after him, both women's eyes followed their son until he disappeared from their sight before ultimately turning their attention away.

With a sigh, Arizona then leaned her elbows on the granite countertop of the kitchen island, resting her face in her hands and, shaking her head, she attempted to clear her mind of the harrowing visions that just wouldn't seem to leave her. "That was terrible, Calliope," she breathed out when her wife came to stand behind her, a protective hand resting at the small of her back. "If we. . .if he. . ."

"I know, sweetie. I know," Callie tried to soothe, turning Arizona around and pulling her into the shelter of her loving and vigilant embrace. "But, we're safe, sweetheart. _Sam _is safe."

* * *

><p><em><strong>(Flashback: 19 years ago)<strong>_

_With a very asleep Olivia precariously balanced on her left hip, a head full of dark hair resting on her shoulder and chubby one and a half year old arms haphazardly hanging here and there, Callie slowly made her way toward the stairs, guiding Arizona, who was holding Sofia's hand, as she went. _

_"You go lay down, and I'll get the girls ready for bed," Callie instructed halfway up the stairs._

_Turning around, Arizona regarded her with a sly smirk, her eyes narrowing in contention. "I'm fine, Calliope, and I'm certainly capable of helping you get the girls tucked in."_

_Shaking her head as she pressed forward, moving her family the remainder of the way up the stairs, Callie sighed as she resituated Olivia in her arms. "You heard Dr. Roberts, Arizona. She said to limit your activity, and. . ."_

_"Yes, Calliope. She said to LIMIT my activity. Not to become a total invalid," Arizona was quick to dispute._

_Finally making it into Olivia's bedroom, Callie grabbed a set of pajamas from the top dresser drawer before laying the sleeping little girl on the changing table. "Sofia, will you go change into your pajamas, please?" she gently requested, completely ignoring her wife's dissension. "Mami will be there in a few minutes to help you," she added, removing Olivia's diaper and placing it into the Diaper Genie to her right before wiping at a smooth baby bottom._

_"Callie. . ." Arizona breathed out with a roll of her eyes._

_"Arizona. . ." Callie spoke in discord, her eyes widening as a warning to her stubborn wife. "Bed. Please."_

_Shaking her head and once again rolling her eyes, Arizona took Sofia's hand, moving from the nursery toward the six-year-old's bedroom. "Just jammies, face, and teeth, tonight," Arizona explained, pulling a folded pair of pajamas from near the pillows on Sofia's bed. "Momma will help you with a bath in the morning, okay?" she whispered, taking a seat on the edge of the mattress as the little girl lifted her shirt over her head and tugged her pants down before replacing them with an adorable set of red Minnie Mouse pajamas. _

_Helping the little girl with the last of the buttons on her shirt, Arizona smiled, kissing her eldest daughter on the forehead. "Come on. Let's go brush your teeth," she stated, two ivory hands resting on cotton jammie clad shoulders to press the little girl out of her bedroom, across the hall, and into the bathroom. _

_Reaching into the medicine cabinet, she momentarily paused before turning back toward her daughter. "Strawberry or blue sparkle?" she asked, never sure which toothpaste Sofia would choose._

_Sofia pursed her lips, pondering the question as if she were about to make some sort of life-altering decision and, after hopping up on a wooden stool with puzzle letters of her name on its top, she pointed toward her choice. "Strawberry," she requested with a smile, taking the proffered toothbrush from her mother after it had been sufficiently loaded with paste. _

_Taking a seat on the closed toilet seat, Arizona watched to make sure Sofia did a satisfactory job with her teeth, but looking up when she saw movement in the doorway, she cringed, looking as if she'd just been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. _

_"Arizona," Callie scolded in surprise when she found her wife and daughter in the bathroom, not in their individual bedrooms like she had anticipated. "Please go to bed, sweetie. I said I'd take care of this."_

_Looking between Callie and Sofia and, not willing to argue her wife's ridiculousness in front of their daughter, Arizona shook her head, her arms crossing over her chest to close herself off as she hastily made her way out of the room. "Fine."_

* * *

><p><em>Entering the master bedroom fifteen minutes later, Callie was surprised when she didn't find her wife already in bed and, after finding the bathroom vacant as well, she placed her hands on her hips, rolling her eyes in disdain as she made her way out of the room and down the stairs. <em>

_"Arizona?" she called into the living room, spotting her wife seated upon the couch, her right foot on the coffee table in front of her and her iPad resting on her thighs. "It's late, honey. What are you doing? Shouldn't you be in bed?" she asked, taking a seat next to her wife and wrapping her arm around her shoulders._

_Arizona immediately bristled at the loving touch and, noting the stern look in angry blue eyes, Callie removed her arm, scooting a cushion length away from the smaller woman. _

_"Okay, then," Callie haughtily replied, scratching the top of her head and leaning away from Arizona and into the arm of the couch. _

_This certainly was not what she'd expected from tonight. They had just transferred at least one, if not two viable embryos into her wife's body; embryos that would hopefully grow and mature into at least one beautiful baby for them to love and cherish. _

_In normal circumstances, that would have led to a night of passionate love making in celebration, but cognizant of the fact that there could be no sexy time for at least the next couple weeks, Callie instead assumed there would be tender cuddles and gentle caresses, whispered sweet nothings and lazy kisses in their bed before falling asleep enveloped in each other's arms. However, judging by the cold shoulder she'd just received, that certainly was NOT going to be the case tonight. _

_For what seemed like forever, the two stubborn women sat in silence, the only sound in the room coming from Arizona's fingers tapping against the keyboard of her iPad._

_Finally unable to take the silence any longer, Callie glanced sidelong at her wife who was obviously still brooding, narrowed blue eyes never leaving the screen in front of her. "Umm. . .are you going to tell me what's going on?" she asked, fully turning to regard her wife. "Did something happen between the hospital and our garage? Because something is clearly up. I mean, have you changed your mind about this, already? Because you wanted another baby, Arizona. This was your idea, and there's really no going back on it now."_

_Upon hearing Callie's irrationally rambled words, a blonde head quickly snapped in her direction, obvious hurt and agonized heartache now seeping from Arizona's every feature. "That's not even funny, Calliope," she angrily spat, completely blindsided by her wife's remarks. "I can't even believe you just said that and, in fact, I'm more than a little offended and VERY hurt that you would EVER think such a thing," she snapped, turning away from her quickly repentant wife._

_Swallowing her pride along with the lump in her throat, Callie hesitantly scooted from the sofa, coming to rest on her knees before gently pulling Arizona's foot from the coffee table. Slowly lowering it to the floor, she shuffled on her knees so she could position herself between two jean clad thighs. "Arizona. . ." she softly beseeched, desperately hoping her wife would at least glance up in her direction. _

_But when the other woman only continued to look at the words on her iPad screen, Callie carefully removed it from her lap, setting it aside as she forced Arizona to look at her. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," she softly whispered. "That was wrong of me. I shouldn't have said that."_

_Arizona only remained silent, tears welling in sorrowful cerulean eyes and, with a tight nod of her head, she brusquely wiped at the moisture gathering in the corners of her eyes._

_"What's the matter, sweetie? Please tell me what's going on," Callie begged, gently squeezing at the tops of Arizona's legs. _

_Arizona shook her head, knowing that her own feelings stemmed more from the hormones and medications they'd been pumping her body full of for the past few months than anything Callie had actually done or said. "I'm sorry, Calliope. It's just. . ." she trailed off, unwilling to voice her own line of thinking._

_"It's just what, Arizona? Talk to me, honey." _

_Sighing, Arizona looked over Callie's shoulder, refusing to meet the other woman's concerned and adoring brown eyes. "We don't even know if I'm pregnant, yet, Calliope. But already, you're treating me like an invalid. You're over-protecting a-a-and mothering me, and you. . .you're looking at me like you did. . .after the crash," she hesitantly replied, her voice losing volume as azure eyes finally dragged back to meet chocolate brown. _

_"No, Arizona. I-I didn't. I. . ."_

_"Yes, Calliope. A little bit, you did," Arizona shouted, her emotions once again getting the better of her. _

_Callie's mouth fell open at Arizona's outburst, her own eyes widening and now brimming with unshed tears. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that. Really, I didn't, I. . ."_

_Arizona nodded her head; they'd moved past all of this years ago, and she hardly ever allowed those insecurities to rear their ugly heads but, sometimes, they very rarely and very occasionally worked their way to the surface, and unfortunately, this just happened to be one of those times. _

_"I know you didn't. It's just me. I'm anxious about whether this is going to work or not, and I'm. . .scared. I'm full of hormones a-a-and all these thoughts and concerns, and. . .I just need you to treat me like me, Calliope. Like your wife and like your partner. Not like your patient, and certainly not like a child."_

_Taking two trembling hands into her own, Callie nervously fidgeted with the gold band of diamonds that encircled Arizona's left ring finger. "I have plenty of patients, Arizona, and hopefully in nine months, we'll have at least one more child to add to our family, so I certainly don't think I need any more of those," she teased, reaching forward with her left hand to gently press Arizona's chin up so that tearful blue eyes met her own. "I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings but, honestly, I look at you like that because I love you, sweetheart. Because I want to make sure you're safe. And because I want to do everything I can to protect you," Callie earnestly replied, her voice strong, but trembling slightly as she spoke. "I want to do everything possible to make sure the IVF works."_

_"I'm a grown woman, Callie. I don't need protecting."_

_Tipping her head to the side, Callie's eyes lit with understanding and remembrance, though her lips twitched slightly, leaving her wholly unable to keep the smirk off her face. _

_With a deep frown creasing her brow, Arizona was completely shocked by the silly smile that she now found on her wife's face. "What?" she demanded, angered by the other woman's dismissal of her heartfelt plea. "What the Hell are you grinning at?"_

_Moving from her knees, Callie sat back on the coffee table, one eyebrow rising high into her forehead. "Do I REALLY need to remind you of my extra special vagina vote?"_

_Arizona's face remained shocked; she was completely unsure of what her wife was getting at and, noting her confusion, Callie again spoke. "Disgusting kale and apple juice smoothies? With chunks?"_

_"Umm. . ."_

_"No caffeine, Calliope. You have to eat better and take it easier at work, Calliope. . ." Callie sing-songed the words that Arizona had spoken to her several times during not just her pregnancy with Sofia, but Olivia, as well._

_Arizona's eyes widened, her head giving an indignant shake. "What exactly are you saying, Calliope?"_

_The brunette smiled softly, once again chancing her luck by snaking her arm over her wife's shoulders and, when Arizona didn't immediately shrug her away, Callie's body visibly relaxed as she made herself more comfortable. What I'm saying is that I love you, and that. . .I'm new at this."_

_Glancing at her wife, Arizona once again seemed confused by Callie's statement. "What do you mean you're new to this?" she asked, the frustration still evident in her voice. "We've done this twice before."_

_Callie gently shook her head, placing a loving kiss against her wife's temple. "Not exactly," she replied, leaning back and gazing into impatient cerulean eyes. "We have two amazing and beautiful little girls, Arizona. Little girls that I carried while you did everything in your power to protect us and make sure we were okay. But this time. . .it's different. This time I get to be the protector. YOUR protector. His or her or maybe two other babies' protector. . ." she paused, her hand coming to protectively rest over Arizona's still flat abdomen. "So, you're going to just have to bear with me, sweetie. Give me time to settle into this new role."_

_As a tear streaked down an ivory cheek, Arizona crossed her arms over her chest, a perfect little pout forming on her lips. "This is SO not fair," she softly grumbled, though she leaned into her wife, her head coming to rest on Callie's shoulder._

_With a smile on her face, Callie's hand slipped beneath the material of Arizona's shirt, her hand gently caressing the skin she hoped and prayed would soon be expanding in order to house their third child. "It's totally fair," she contended with a slight chuckle, exaggeratedly crossing one foot over the other on the coffee table. "And YOU are gonna love it."_

_With a roll of her eyes, Arizona still cuddled further into her wife's side. "I definitely need to get my own extra special vagina vote."_

* * *

><p><em>Rushing down the OR hallway, red and white patterned scrub cap still in place and a light blue surgical gown flapping behind her with every hasty step she took, Callie skidded to a halt at the elevator, her right hand reaching out to smash against the down arrow. "Come on. Come on. Come on," she impatiently chanted, worried she was about to miss the appointment she and Arizona had with Dr. Roberts.<em>

_When the elevator door finally opened, she briskly stepped inside and, after pressing the button for her floor of choice, she pulled her phone from within her pocket, noting that she was only five minutes late. _

_She still had time._

_It had been ten days since the evening Arizona had been implanted with two embryos, ten days since they had come to a compromise concerning the fact that Arizona was just going to have to get used to the fact that Callie was most likely going to be a little overprotective of her and, if they were lucky, the child or children who were hopefully already beginning to grow and thrive within Arizona's body. _

_With a slight smile on her face at the thought, Callie made her way into the Center for Excellence in Women's Health of Grey+Sloan Memorial Hospital, greeting the receptionist with a wave as she stepped up to the window. "Can you tell me where I can find Arizona Robbins, please," she requested with a smile._

_The woman at the window initially returned Callie's infectious smile, but then shook her head. "Dr. Robbins is already finished, Dr. Torres. You just missed her."_

_Narrowing her eyes, Callie glanced at the clock on the wall behind the other woman's head and, noting that she was now only nine minutes late for their appointment, her heart immediately sank. _

_It was unheard of that Arizona wouldn't have had to wait for at least a couple minutes before a pregnancy test was administered, so in Callie's mind, that could only mean one thing. The brevity of Arizona's appointment couldn't possibly have had a positive outcome, and Callie felt the sting of tears immediately meet her eyes at the realization of what that meant. "O-okay. . .umm, did Dr. Robbins happen to mention where she was going?" she asked, swallowing hard as she worried her lips into a fine line._

_The woman behind the window shook her head, a sorrowful look on her face. "I'm sorry, Dr. Torres. I'm not sure where she is."_

* * *

><p><em>Making her way through the halls of the hospital, Callie first checked Arizona's office and then the NICU, but not finding her in either of those locations, she once again had Arizona paged before deciding to look for her in the cafeteria. Finding the blonde absent from that room as well, she then made her way back to the OR, sending another page from the scrub room where she now stood. With her hands held under the stream of water, Callie stared through the window at her patient that was now being prepped. <em>

_This was hip replacement day. _

_Maybe she could lose herself in the whir of the bone saw and the monotony of cutting and removing femoral head after femoral head, repairing one acetabulum after the next. _

_Or not. _

_Glancing down at her hands, she couldn't help but notice the slight tremor that was present there and, closing her eyes, she clenched her fists just as tightly as her eyes in an attempt to calm her frazzled nerves and soothe her breaking heart. _

_"You missed our appointment."_

_Callie's foot immediately released from the pedal operating the spray of water and, spinning around, she tried mightily to appear calm and collected, as if she didn't already know that excruciatingly devastating news was about to spill forth from Arizona's beautiful mouth. _

_"I'm so sorry. My surgery ran long. But I. . .I was there," Callie replied, knowing full well that she was doing a piss poor job of hiding the fact that she already knew what Arizona was going to say. "How'd it go?"_

_"Callie. . ." Arizona breathed out, apparently readying herself to drop the bomb._

_"Is everything okay?" Callie asked, taking a step toward her wife, staunchly refusing to allow the tears that were gathering in her eyes to drip down her face. _

_Arizona only stared at her with a gleam in her own eyes that Callie couldn't quite decipher and, unable to deal with the pain and uncertainty she was feeling for a moment longer, she once again asked, "Are you okay? Is everything alright?"_

_Arizona nodded her head, a slight smile tugging at her lips._

_With a confused look on her face, Callie just stared at her wife waiting. . .wanting. . .needing her to speak. To make words. Any kind of words._

_And with that, Arizona pulled her arms from behind her back, her hands producing not one, but six white sticks that took a moment for Callie to recognize. "We're. . .having a baby," she simply stated before a bark of laughter left her lungs._

_Those were certainly not the words Callie had been expecting to hear and, with question and bewilderment written across her every feature upon hearing 'we're having a baby' and not 'there is no baby' like she had been expecting, she found herself desperately trying to hear what Arizona was saying over the deafening thumps of her heart that now pounded in her ears._

_"I've been crampy for the past couple days, so I originally thought maybe it didn't work, but my boobs were hurting more than normal since the hormones, a-a-and then I thought maybe. . .but it's only been ten days, and I didn't even think it would show up on a test so soon, so I. . .I took six. And then I just couldn't wait any longer, so I went to see Dr. Roberts early."_

_Finally realizing that this was really happening, that her wife was indeed pregnant, that they were actually adding at least once more little life to their already perfect family, Callie's hands came up to cover her mouth, a shriek of sheer joy and relief, surprise and hope squealing from her lips and echoing off the wall of the small scrub room. _

_Arizona jumped at the sound, her own laughter now joining Callie's excitement._

_"We're having a baby. . ." Callie ecstatically mused, those four words somehow still surprising her as she closed the distance between herself and her wife. _

_Pulling Arizona into a tight embrace, Callie quickly leaned back because a hug just didn't seem like enough. Placing her hands at the side of ivory cheeks, the pads of her fingers rested against the material of Arizona's pink scrub cap as she pulled her into a hard and insistent kiss, the joining of their lips finally allowing Callie to release all of the anticipated heartache and overwhelming sorrow she'd attempted to ready herself for just moments before. _

_Pulling back, Callie and Arizona both laughed giddily before the taller woman knelt before the woman she loved, staring at her abdomen in wonder and in awe. "Hi," she cooed, her hands lovingly caressing Arizona's hips and belly. "Hi, sweet baby," she adoringly whispered before leaning forward to lay the first of many kisses against their growing baby._

* * *

><p><em><strong>(Callie's POV)<strong>_

_Many mothers often talk about feeling connected to their baby from the beginning of pregnancy, and I have to say that was true for me, as well. I experienced changes in my body from the very beginning, and those sensations were with me constantly throughout both of my pregnancies. _

_At seven weeks, we found out we weren't going to be blessed with twins and that only one of the transferred embryos had implanted. We were initially saddened by this news, but quickly turned our focus to the fact that we would indeed be welcoming another little life into our family, though I have to admit that I struggled to find that same connection I had during my pregnancies and, in a way, I felt a little left out. . .like I was missing out on this miraculous experience, because Arizona and the baby were already forming their own little relationship that I wasn't necessarily a part of. _

_I tried to move past it, telling myself that I was being childish or selfish, that this was all just part of the process, but that never seemed to work. I worried that there was something wrong with me, that I was doing something wrong and that I wasn't cut out for being on the other end of the pregnancy process. _

_So, I tried to overcompensate. I over-protected, and I'm sure I smothered. I worked hard to be there for and to care for my wife. _

_There were. . .foot rubs and back rubs. Chicken Piccata and doughnuts whenever she liked. Pepperoni pizzas and ice cream. Lots and lots of naughty and sometimes even outright raunchy sex. Whatever Arizona needed, whatever she wanted, I was there for her, ready and willing to do anything and everything in my power to make sure that she was safe, that she was comfortable, and that she was happy. _

_But still, I felt so unsure._

_I've heard people describe first pregnancies as a novelty, with each subsequent pregnancy becoming second nature, so I guess I just assumed that, by our third child, everything would have been common place. _

_But, that was definitely not the case. _

_My role with Arizona had been reversed, and I have to admit. . .I struggled. A lot. I'm fairly confident I may have even sucked at it. I just so desperately wanted and needed to feel connected to our baby, but that took way more time than I had hoped. _

_As a doctor, I knew what was happening. We'd already been through this twice before. But for some reason, this time, it was all just so unreal. _

_I mean, I knew in my head Arizona was pregnant, but for so long, she looked the same. She was just as stunning as ever and, while I felt the urge to protect HER and be there for HER in every way possible, there was still something missing. _

_I felt like everything was unknown and that made me a ridiculously anxious mess. One moment I was excited, the next I was scared, and the moment after that, I was miserable because I was worried that I wouldn't ever experience the same connection with this baby that I'd already forged with Sofia and Olivia. _

_Could that really happen, though? Would I feel differently toward this new baby just because he or she hadn't grown and been nurtured within my own body? Was I wrong to think that if Arizona carried our third child that no love or devotion would be lost where I was concerned?_

_Arizona and I talked a lot about this throughout the first few months of her pregnancy and, through my struggle, she was. . .miraculous. She was just so joyful. So exhilarated. She was also. . .weepy, crabby, and irritable and every other emotion in between and, at times, I had no idea which end was up. I couldn't predict the Arizona I would be waking up to in the morning or going to bed with at night, and that made me feel all the worse for bringing my unease into her already precariously volatile state of being. _

_It was a tough few months, but we made it through, and I can still remember the day everything changed. The day this pregnancy brought us closer, the day Arizona and I reached a new level in our relationship, and the day I finally felt like our new baby's mom._

* * *

><p><em><strong>(Flashback: 19 Years Ago)<strong>_

_Rolling over in bed, Callie's right hand subconsciously reached out for the warmth of her wife, but when her hand came in contact with nothing more than cool and empty sheets, she slowly opened her eyes, squinting to read the clock on the nightstand. _

_4:02am._

_Rolling onto her back, she momentarily stared up at the ceiling and, finally hoisting herself up into sitting, she threw her legs over the side of the mattress, stuffing her feet into UGG Slides before exiting the bed. _

_Arizona had reached a state of unrest at seventeen weeks into her pregnancy, a complicated mix of hormones, frequent urination, persistent heartburn, leg cramps, and pre-birth anxiety all combining to create an unremedied plight of insomnia in the blonde's already busy life. _

_Callie had tried anything and everything she could to help her wife sleep; soothing music, nighttime prenatal massage before making love, warm baths, oatmeal, edamame, bananas, miso soup, and every other food Callie had read and researched would promote sleep had all proved futile. _

_So, here she was at now 4:07 in the morning searching the dark and silent house for her missing wife. Not finding her in Sofia or Olivia's bedrooms, she made her way to the last bedroom in the upstairs, the room they had chosen to soon become the nursery once they decided what color they were going to paint it._

_Seeing a dim light spilling out from the small crack left by the nearly closed door, Callie gently pushed it open, spotting her wife standing in the middle of the floor, hands on her hips as she stared at the blank wall in front of her. "Arizona?" she softly called, trying her best not to startle her pregnant wife._

_Even though Callie's voice was barely above a whisper when she called her name, Arizona jumped at the sound, though she didn't immediately turn around. _

_"We really need to find out if the baby is a boy or a girl, Calliope. I mean. . .we're kind of running out of time here, a-a-and what if it's a boy? We have NOTHING for a boy, Callie. All of the stuff we have packed away is pink or purple or teal, and I'm not really one who gets into colors and gender norms and all that, but I definitely don't want our son having to wear flowery dresses and playing with Lalaloopsy dolls because his moms were too busy to buy him trucks and balls and real little boy clothes."_

_And there was the pre-birth anxiety part of Arizona's insomnia._

_Stepping into the room, Callie made her way behind her wife and, wrapping her arms around her abdomen, her hands splayed out over Arizona's cute little baby bump as she rested her chin on her shoulder. "You're only sixteen weeks, Arizona. That means we still have twenty-four weeks before the baby gets here. That's plenty of time."_

_"But, what if it's not?" Arizona immediately retorted with a heavy sigh. "Sofia was born at twenty-three and a half weeks and Olivia at thirty-four. What if this baby comes early, too? What if we don't have as much time as we think?"_

_Callie sighed, closing her eyes as she considered the harrowing possibility of this child being born under the same circumstances of either Sofia or Olivia but, pushing those thoughts from her mind, she opened her eyes, kissing the side of her wife's face. "That's not gonna happen, Arizona. Because I'm not gonna let it."_

_Turning in her wife's arms, Arizona nodded, appreciating her wife's sentiment, even though she knew the other woman had absolutely no control whatsoever over when this baby decided to grace them with its presence. _

_"I hope you're right," Arizona whispered, "but just in case, I really, really need to know what we're having because we need to get this room painted and things purchased, and. . ."_

_"We have an ultrasound next week, Arizona. That's certainly soon enough."_

_Arizona shook her head, irrational, but solemn tears welling in tired blue eyes. "But what if it's not?"_

* * *

><p><em>At 9:00 am the following morning, after dropping Sofia off at school, Callie and Arizona made their way into the hospital, first making sure that Olivia was settled into daycare before making their way to the cafeteria to grab the one small cup of coffee Arizona allowed herself on days such as today. <em>

_Callie was being a team player in all of this, only drinking coffee when her wife did and, she had to admit, that was certainly helping no one. Neither woman had gone back to sleep after Callie found Arizona in the nursery less than five hours before, and both were more than a little moody, completely exhausted, and at their wit's end. _

_So, with the briefest of goodbyes, Arizona made her way toward Peds and, once she had disappeared from her sight, Callie turned in the complete opposite direction of the Ortho floor. _

_She just. . .needed to do something. _

_She needed to fix this, at least for a little while and as much as she could. She needed to somehow find a way to ease Arizona's nerves so they both could get some much needed rest and peace of mind._

_And so, taking a detour toward an empty exam room near the NICU, she settled in, gathering everything she needed before paging her wife 9-1-1 to that particular room. Callie knew Arizona didn't have far to go, considering they were on the exact same floor and wasn't surprised when it took her less than two minutes to answer the emergency page. _

_"What have we got?" Arizona hastily asked as she made her way into the room. _

_Receiving no response, she finally looking around, pausing in her attempt to don her second blue rubber glove before immediately divesting herself of the other. "Callie? What are you doing? Why did you page me?"_

_Running her hands over the tops of her own scrub clad thighs, Callie then stood from her stool, closing the short distance between herself and her wife. "You've only slept like six hours in the past three days, Arizona, and nothing I've tried so far has helped," Callie began by way of explanation, reaching out to straighten the stethoscope that hung around her wife's neck. "And you really need to sleep, sweetheart. This isn't good for you or for the baby."_

_Arizona shook her head, suddenly feeling aberrantly ganged up on. "It's not like I'm doing it on purpose, Calliope, I just. . ."_

_Reaching up, Callie gently pressed her index finger to Arizona's pouting lips. "Come here," she softly requested, taking an ivory hand into her own and leading the confused and increasingly pissed off blonde toward the exam table. _

_"I called Dr. Robert's office earlier today, and they couldn't get you in for an ultrasound until Friday at the earliest, so I commandeered this ultrasound machine. Alex knows not to let anyone else into the room for the next half hour, so I. . .I thought we could just do this together," she offered, grabbing a tube of Aquasonic gel and flipping on the machine. "So. . .what do you think? You ready to meet our baby?"_

_At a complete loss for words, Arizona opened and closed her mouth several times but, when no sound came out, she cleared her throat before swallowing hard. Mustering only a silent nod of her head, she then permitted Callie to remove her lab coat. _

_Watching as her wife placed the garment to the side, Arizona then took Callie's hand as the taller woman carefully helped her up onto the exam table. "Thank you, Callie," Arizona whispered, completely unable to halt the wayward tear that streaked out the corner of her eye. _

_With a sly wink, Callie reverently pushed up Arizona's scrub top, tucking a towel into the waistband of her pants as she gently pulled them down a couple inches. "Okay. This is going to be cool," she gently warned, applying a generous amount of ultrasound gel to her wife's expanding abdomen. _

_Arizona nodded, though she winced slightly when the cool jelly came into contact with her skin. "Whew, cold," she mused, a shiver running down her spine._

_Smoothing the transducer head over her wife's belly, Callie found herself suddenly nervous at what she might find. "I. . .you're going to have to bear with me. I haven't done this since med school," she anxiously stated, finally finding the correct position. _

_Turning her head to the left, Arizona momentarily gazed at the screen before reaching out to point to the grainy image she found there. "Here's the head. . .and the spine," she whispered, tracing her finger over the prominent curve of their baby's back. "And the heart," she stated, moving her free hand to rest over her wife's and forcing her to press the transducer a little harder into her skin. _

_The room remained silent for several long moments before a staticy buzz filled the air around them and, narrowing her eyes, Callie anxiously watched the screen in anticipation, her mouth then falling agape with a sharp breath when the familiar 'lub dub' of their baby's beating heart strongly reverberated throughout the otherwise silent room. They'd heard it before, but that sound just never got old._

_Hearing her wife's reaction, Arizona dragged her attention away from their child to meet the misty gaze of magical brown eyes and, moving the transducer just a smidge, happy tears formed in her own eyes when what she'd been desperately needing to see finally caught her attention. _

_"Arizona. . ." _

_Forcing her conscious recognition away from the baby, Arizona once again glanced at her wife, watching as she hastily wiped at the tears that had begun to drip unabashed down her own cheeks and, in that instant, she knew that her wife had seen it, too. "It's a. . ."_

_Callie's lips were on Arizona's before she could finish her statement, tears of joy and hope mixed with exhaustion and fear mingling together as their mouths met in a sloppy, but passionate kiss. "It's a boy, Arizona. We're having a boy."_

* * *

><p>Hand in hand, Callie and Arizona made their way up the stairs after making sure that the downstairs was straightened, all the doors locked, and lights turned off but, as Callie tried to move right into their bedroom, Arizona pulled left, intent on checking on their son.<p>

"Sam?" she softly called, pushing open the door that stood slightly ajar. "You okay?"

When both mothers fully stepped into the room, they stared down at the full size bed, their six foot three inch son, sleeping soundly with lanky, but muscular legs shooting out from beneath the covers.

Gazing at her son, Arizona found herself unable to take her eyes off his smooth caramel face, his arms stretched above his head with his elbows slightly bent, just as he had slept when he was a baby.

As a doctor, she knew that there was no real scientific reason for why babies slept that way, but her mother had always told her that it was the sign of a happy and contented baby, and she was more than willing to believe that to be true. And, if it was true, then she was certainly pleased to see that Sam continued to sleep that way even at the age of eighteen.

"Come on, sweetie. Let him sleep," Callie whispered, wrapping her arms around her wife from behind as she too stared at their son.

Arizona nodded her head as she leaned back into her wife, though she made no attempt to move. "He's so handsome, Calliope," she whispered.

"He is. . ."

"And he's grown into such a wonderful young man."

"He has. . ."

"And he's leaving us in a month. What are we going to do when he's gone?" Arizona questioned, her voice thick with emotion.

Turning her wife in her arms, Callie gently brushed wayward blonde bangs away from an ivory forehead before tugging her wife into a loving embrace. "We're not talking about that tonight. Remember?"

Arizona sighed and, with a slight nod, she hesitantly pulled away before leaning down to press a tender kiss to the top of Sam's head.

"Goodnight, mijo," Callie softly stated, unable to resist the urge to tuck his blankets more snuggly around him.

Flicking off Sam's bedside lamp, and taking Arizona's hand, she then led her out of his bedroom and down the hall into the solace of their own room.

* * *

><p><em><strong>(Flashback: A Little Over Eighteen Years Ago)<strong>_

_Seated at a table in the back corner of the cafeteria, just as Arizona had requested, Callie watched as her wife entered the crowded room, a beaming dimpled smile on her face as she made her way into the tray line, talking animatedly with other doctors and nurses, greeting the ladies behind the counter in that way that only an insanely happy Arizona Robbins could. _

_Callie couldn't help but smile at the sight; at thirty-nine weeks pregnant, Arizona was the epitome of gorgeous, glowing in every possible way with sunshine and rainbows oozing from her every pore. _

_Callie watched as the blonde swiped her badge to pay for her meal before turning around, blue eyes then searching the room for her. _

_Finally spotting her wife at her favorite table, Arizona's smile brightened as she stepped forward, closing the distance between them._

_Continuing to watch Arizona's every move, Callie held her wife's eyes as she continued to walk toward her, but when she was merely five feet away from the table, the blonde came to an abrupt halt, her brow furrowing in confusion before her eyes went wide with shock and realization_

_Callie was instantly on her feet, quick hands taking Arizona's lunch tray before it went crashing to the floor. "Arizona? Arizona. . ."_

_The blonde could barely hear Callie calling her name, her brain felt like soup, a soggy mess of fear and uncertainty, elation and apprehension. She could tell her wife was now standing in front of her, but she still didn't respond, her eyes frozen on the rain as it pelted the cafeteria window._

_"Arizona? Honey? Can you hear me?" Callie's nervous voice exclaimed, her tone rising in an attempt to pierce through the obvious haze the shorter woman had fallen into. "What's the matter?"_

_Arizona swallowed hard, finally shaking herself from her daze and, dragging her eyes in Callie's direction, the dimpled grin that had been lighting her face when she entered the cafeteria moments before, instantly returned. "H-holy shit, Callie. My water just broke."_

* * *

><p>Taking a seat on the edge of their bed, Callie tugged her wife close, enveloping her hand between her larger ones and bringing their joined fingers to rest against her heart. "Sam's okay, Arizona," she earnestly insisted, knowing her wife was still processing the near accident they'd nearly been involved in earlier that night.<p>

Arizona shook her head, completely unable to let it go. "But, how can we be sure? I mean, he was clearly frightened, Calliope. What if he's just hiding his feelings? Because he's a guy and doesn't think he can show emotion or-or-or something macho like that?" she anxiously rambled.

With a smile and an amorous kiss to the side of Arizona's face, Callie leaned back to stare into worried blue eyes.

For some reason, Arizona had always been more protective of Sam than either of the girls, even though she would wholeheartedly deny that fact if asked.

Maybe it was because she'd carried him within her own body, or maybe it was just because he was their youngest, Callie wasn't sure, but what she was sure of was that she found it absolutely adorable. The fact that her wife was so vigilantly watchful of this young man who stood nearly a foot taller than her made her heart swell with one of the greatest senses of love and adoration she'd ever experienced.

* * *

><p><em>"Now just remember, I absolutely do NOT want the epidural. Women have been doing this for tens of thousands of years without drugs, and I. . ."<em>

_". . .certainly can do it, too," Callie quoted right along with her wife from her seat on a stool next to her bed. "Yep, I got it. You even wrote it down in your birthing plan."_

_Completely oblivious to the fact that her wife was slightly mocking her, Arizona continued on with her line of thinking. "All I'm saying is, even if I ask for it, don't give it to me. I don't want anything to cloud what's happening," she continued, tapping her fingers against the bedrail. _

_It had been three hours since her water had broken in the middle of the cafeteria, and it was safe to say that up to this point, her labor had been fairly uneventful and was currently moving at a snail's pace. _

_"Did you call our parents? I still don't know if I want anyone other than the two of us in here when he's born, but you know. . .they should at least be on their way to the hospital to meet him," Arizona continued, her mouth opening to ramble each and every thought that popped into her head. "Oh, and what about the girls?"_

_Callie worried her bottom lip between her teeth, desperately trying not to snap at her chatty wife. _

_Arizona had entered some sort of manic, psychotic rambling phase of the childbirth process that Callie hadn't necessarily prepared herself for and, lacing her fingers together so she didn't choke her overly talkative wife, she then rested them on her lap. "We've been through this already. Everything's taken care of. You have nothing to worry about other than what's happening in this room."_

_Arizona nodded, seemingly satisfied with Callie's response until suddenly her mouth flew open. "Oh shit, Callie. My leg. What if when my water broke it fried the microprocessor?" she asked, anxiously looking around the room for where her prosthesis had been stashed. "We need to check it. Because we'll have to rush to get it fixed if it's broken. What if it's not working, and I need to use the restroom? What if I want to take a walk? We should definitely call David because my beater leg chafes me, and there's no way I'll be able to take care of the baby if I have to wear that damn thing. Can you check it for me? Please?"_

_Pressing her lips together to keep her thoughts from spewing out in the form of word vomit, Callie closed her eyes, desperately trying to compose herself so she did not kill her wife before she had the opportunity to bring their son into the world. _

_Standing from her seat, she then turned from Arizona in search of the leg, her head tilting up to the heavens as she whispered. "Dear God, please get me through this day."_

* * *

><p><em>"I don't care what I said, Calliope! I want the freaking epidural, and I want it now!" Arizona shouted, grasping her wife by the front of her shirt and abruptly tugging her down toward her. <em>

_Arizona had vowed that she was going to be strong, that she wasn't going to be one of those women who melted into a weeping mess at the first sign of contractions and pain; she'd survived a plane crash for God's sake, she'd even boasted to Callie, but after twenty very long hours of labor, she was miserable. She was exhausted, and she had quite literally had enough. "Please, Callie. I'm so tired. I can't do this anymore," she hoarsely whispered, her sweat laden brow resting against her wife's._

_At a complete loss for what to do, Callie closed her eyes and, pressing her lips against a sweaty jaw, she lovingly spoke into her wife's ear. "It's too late for the epidural, sweetie. I'm so sorry, but it's time to push. I know you're tired, and I know it hurts, but you can do this, Arizona. You're so strong, baby," she honestly stated, allowing her lips to linger against a fair earlobe._

_Reaching up, Arizona wrapped her arm around Callie's head, her fingers getting lost in thick brunette tresses. "I'm scared, Calliope. I. . ." she whispered so only her wife could hear before trailing off, now unwilling to further admit her fears._

_Leaning back so her tired chocolate eyes could meet exhausted bright blue, Callie held her wife's gaze and, finally swallowing hard in an attempt to fight back her own nerves and emotions, she climbed up behind Arizona to sit with her between her outstretched legs. "Listen to me, Arizona," she softly, but sternly demanded. "I know you're worried, but I'm here, okay? I'm here, and we're going to do this together."_

_Finding a renewed sense of resolve from somewhere deep inside herself, Arizona adamantly nodded her head, reaching out to grasp Callie's hands as she allowed herself to rest back against her wife. _

_"Okay, Arizona," Dr. Roberts spoke from her position at the foot of the bed. "On the next contraction, I want you to push, okay?" she instructed more than asked. _

_"Okay."_

_"Okay, push," the doctor encouraged. _

_Callie leaned forward with Arizona as she pushed for the first time, supporting her body and holding tightly to her hands. _

_"I can see the top of his head," the doctor stated with a smile. "Okay, stop."_

_Arizona leaned back against Callie, thankful for the comforting reinforcement of the woman behind her. "You're doing great, sweetie," Callie whispered into her wife's ear before kissing her cheek._

_"You ready again?" Dr. Roberts asked._

_Arizona nodded, leaning forward and bearing down to push one more time, relying on Callie to provide her with the support and strength she needed to do this. _

_Several minutes and what seemed like a thousand pushes later, Dr. Roberts looked up toward an exhausted Arizona with just one more request. "Just one more big push, and your baby will be here," she stated. _

_Arizona sighed, tiredly mustering the remainder of the energy she wasn't sure she had and, doing as she was instructed, she grasped Callie's hands before bearing down as hard as she could in order to bring their son into the world. _

_Time seemed to stand still and neither Callie nor Arizona knew if a second, a minute, or an hour had passed before the room suddenly became consumed with the healthy wail from the tiny infant Dr. Roberts now held in her hands as he cried for the very first time in order to announce his entrance into the world. _

_Quickly swaddling him in a blanket, the doctor then expertly suctioned his mouth before placing him against Arizona's chest. "Here you go, mommas. Meet your son," she cooed._

_With large tears brimming in both brown and blue eyes, Callie and Arizona looked down toward their brand new baby boy, both women feeling an instant connection to the child as their hearts and souls became consumed with a profound sense of vehement love, heartfelt attachment, and unabiding devotion. _

_They'd only ever experienced such an intense feeling twice before; the individual days they'd first laid eyes on Sofia and Olivia. _

_"Oh my God," Arizona gasped in wonder as she held their son for the first time, her face now moist with the tears that had begun to fall._

_"Oh, God. . .Arizona. He. . .he's. . ."_

_"He's perfect." _

* * *

><p>"We're never going to be able to be sure that our kids are alright all the time, Arizona. We can't be with them every hour of every day. You know that. It's been that way since the very first day we first took each of them to daycare," Callie tried to rationalize, hoping her words would help to ease her wife's worried mind. "Sam's fine, sweetie. He's. . .<em>perfect<em>. We've done all we can to prepare him for just about anything life throws his way, just like we did with the girls, and so far, I think we've done a damn good job," she continued, wrapping her arm around Arizona's waist to draw her near. "And besides, aren't you the one who's always telling me that kids are resilient?"

Arizona scrunched her nose in distaste at her wife's use of her own philosophy as ammunition against her. "I was referring to someone else's kids when I said that, Calliope," she feebly argued.

Callie couldn't help the slight chuckle that fell from her lips at Arizona's response and, resting her head against her wife's shoulder, she stared out ahead of her at the family photo taken the summer before. "He's fine, Arizona. You'll see."

Arizona sighed, resting her cheek against thick brunette hair. "I just worry, Calliope. He's our last baby bird, you know? He's our only baby boy."


	6. Chapter 6

**Title**: Perfectly Imperfect

**Author**: HandsThatHeal

**Pairing**: Callie/Arizona

**Rating**: M/NC-17 (For Future Chapters)

**Summary**: Big changes bring big upheaval as Callie and Arizona find themselves alone for the first time in years. Will they be able to happily adapt to this new life without their children under their roof or will they now find that they have nothing in common in the absence of the ties that bound them together for so many years? Sequel to _Clarity_.

**Disclaimer**: All television shows, books, movies, songs, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work and the characters, events, and settings thereof are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context and are not intended to be libelous, defamatory, or in any way factual.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter Six<strong>_

* * *

><p>"Moms?"<p>

The muffled timbre of Sam's voice reached both his mothers' ears from where they sat in the middle of their bed, Arizona folding a charcoal gray Seattle Seahawks hoodie as Callie went about the task of matching what seemed like a thousand pairs of Nike, Adidas, and Under Armour socks of all heights; low cut, ankle, and crew.

"Yeah?" Arizona answered as she set the sweatshirt to the side and grabbed a t-shirt to fold.

Digging through the mountain of black and white socks in front of her, Callie sighed. "How many pairs of socks does one human really need?" she grumbled, her face lighting when she finally found the wayward Nike Dri-FIT sock she'd been searching for.

"You know how he is about his socks," Arizona mused, stacking the folded t-shirt she now held in her hands and grabbing another.

"Moms?" Sam called again.

"Yeah?" Callie and Arizona both replied in unison.

There was a momentary silence throughout the house before a crashing sound from their son's bedroom caught both women's attention. "Have you seen my laptop charger?" Sam asked, apparently unphased by whatever had just crashed to the floor.

Making their way off the bed and out of their room, Callie and Arizona soon appeared in Sam's doorway, the state of his bedroom in shambles; two suitcases sat open atop his bed, several boxes - some empty and others full - lay scattered throughout the room with shoes and piles of clothing of all types carelessly littering the carpet.

At a closer glance, both women realized they could hear, but not see their son and, upon further inspection, they finally found him seated on the floor in the center of his closet.

"What are you doing in there?" Callie asked, setting a stack of folded laundry onto the floor so she and her wife could sit on the edge of their son's bed.

Tossing a set of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle action figures into a box labeled _DONATE, _Sam appeared so young as he sat there crisscross apple sauce in the middle of the mess of a room and closet that had once been so neatly kempt.

"Oh no!" Arizona remarked, with a shake of her head, reaching into the cardboard box to retrieve the discarded action heroes. "You can't get rid of your _Meencha Mooncha Ninja Turtles_," she stated, quoting her son's adorable mispronunciation of his beloved turtles from when he was three-years-old.

"Mo-om," Sam drawled out, a slight blush rising to his caramel cheeks at his mother's teasing. "And just what do you plan to do with them?" he asked, now tossing his once beloved Superman doll into the box which, this time around, Callie was lightning fast to repossess.

Sam quirked a dark eyebrow at his mothers and, when they regarded him with identical warning looks that said, _'None of your business. Don't worry about it,' _he couldn't help the smirk that formed on his full lips.

"You two are being weird, again. Why do you always do that?" he asked, standing from his spot in the closet to place a different box at his mothers' feet.

Callie and Arizona shared a poignant look and, with a slight shrug, Arizona was the first to answer. "Well, you never know. Mami and I may have grandkids one day who would love to play with Uncle Sam's toys, a-a-and what if you have kids of your own, someday? Don't you think they would like to play with their daddy's toys?" she honestly replied, even though the thought of any of their three children becoming parents right now sounded like a complete anomaly to her ears.

Nudging her wife, Callie sighed. "Bite your tongue, sweetheart," she replied with a slight chuckle. "I'm barely ready for Sam to go to college, let alone ready to be a grandma."

"Yeah, mom," Sam agreed with a smirk. "And, I'm hardly ready to be a dad."

Arizona only shrugged, pressing a kiss against her wife's cheek before looking into the box her son was now rummaging through. "Oh, look!" she excitedly exclaimed. "Your old Cub Scout vest," she stated, reaching in to grab the red colored fabric covered in a multitude of patches of every shape, size, and color.

"You gonna keep that, too?" Sam teased, watching as both his mothers lovingly ran their fingers over the stitching that held the patches to the material of vest.

Callie looked up from the nostalgic piece of clothing, her magical brown eyes jokingly warning her son. "Hey! You get to move out and go to college, and we get to keep what we want," she stated, pointing her finger at her clearly amused son. "Got it?"

Sam's face beamed at his moms, a jovial laugh leaving his lips. "Got it."

* * *

><p><em><strong>(Flashback: 10 Years Ago)<strong>_

_As Callie pulled their SUV off the main road and onto a graveled country path leading to the entrance of Camp Pigott at the foot of the Cascade Mountain Range, Arizona nervously worried her bottom lip between her teeth, her fingers tapping a pen against the pad of paper she held in her left hand. "Are you sure you got your sleeping bag?" she asked, turning around to regard her exuberant looking eight-year-old son who was excitedly bouncing up and down in his seat. _

_"Yep!" Sam simply replied._

_Arizona hesitantly nodded, initially moving to turn around before quickly halting, her head whipping back in his direction. "I mean the good one. The zero degree one, not the Mariners one Grammy and Pop-Pop gave you for Christmas."_

_Glancing sidelong at her wife, Callie's full lips curved into a knowing smirk, her eyes twinkling with love and just a little bit of mirth. "We got it, Arizona. I packed it myself," she replied, removing her right hand from the steering wheel to rest it against her wife's thigh._

_Arizona slowly faced forward at the touch and, slouching back into her seat, she deliberately exhaled an exaggerated sigh. "He's only eight, Calliope, and he's going to be camping. In a tent. Alone. In the middle of the wilderness."_

_"It's hardly the wilderness. It's a Boy Scout Camp," Callie quickly contended, pulling their vehicle into a lined parking space. "And, he definitely won't be alone," she finished, detaching her seatbelt and opening the car door. _

_Arizona was quick to follow, moving around the vehicle to stand with her hands on her hips while Callie opened the back hatch. "It's just. . .we won't be out there with him," the distraught blonde grumbled as Sam ran around the car to stand between his moms. "What if he gets cold? Or-or-or gets stung? Oh, crap! Did you get his EpiPen?" she anxiously exclaimed, instantly digging through her bag to find the epinephrine auto injector she always had on hand. _

_Helping Sam into a red venturing backpack that was nearly as big as his entire body, Callie ruffled her son's unruly dark hair before placing a blue and gold Boys Scouts of America hat atop his head. _

_Straightening the neckerchief of navy with gold trim under his shirt collar, she then leaned back, officially satisfied with the state of her son's Wolf Cub Uniform before once again regarding her wife. "He's going to be fine, Arizona," she tried to soothe as her wife continued to search for the allergy medication. _

_When Arizona only huffed, Callie sighed and, carefully removing the bag from her wife's shoulder, she set it in the back of the vehicle before taking ivory hands into her own. "I got the EpiPen," she softly stated when conflicted cerulean eyes finally met her own. "It's in the survival kit in his pack. He has water. He has snacks. He has his sleeping bag. He has a flashlight, bug spray. . .and the million other things you bought him for this trip," she continued, her own fraying nerves easing slightly when Arizona finally allowed herself a half smile. "The camp out is just for the weekend, and I know we were both a little hurt when he asked if it could just be him and the boys, but we knew this would happen eventually, honey. As your mom says, Sam is 'all boy', and well. . .boys, we are not. That's why Alex is here."_

_As if on cue, Alex Karev appeared from around the side of their large SUV, his own eight-year-old son, Andrew, running up to greet his best friend, Sam. "Sammy!" the little boy shouted, his own bright orange backpack shifting to the right and nearly causing him to topple to the side. _

_"Hey, Sam the Man!" Alex greeted, going through some sort of practiced set of fist bumps and handshakes with his mentor's son. "You ready for the big camp out?"_

_Sam excitedly nodded his head before turning back toward his moms. "Can I go with the rest of the troop?" he asked, pointing toward a gathering of young boys who now played in the middle of a grassy field. _

_Callie nodded her head, leaning down to kiss her son's cheek. "You be good, okay?" she rhetorically asked, once again straightening the hat on his head._

_"Have fun, bud," Arizona nervously stated, kneeling down to hug the little boy. _

_Ever the pleaser, Sam held onto his mom and, slightly pulling back, he scrunched his face at the tears he saw brimming in her azure eyes. "Don't be sad, momma," he said, small hands resting on his mother's shoulders. "I. . .I know I said I wanted it to be just the boys, but. . .you can stay. If you want," he continued, though Arizona and Callie both knew he hadn't meant a single word of his offer._

_Staring at the little boy who seemed to be growing before her very eyes, Arizona wanted to jump for joy at the fact that he had given her permission to stay - even if his words held absolutely no truth, whatsoever - but instead, she only smiled, pulling up his cap to kiss his slightly sweaty forehead. "Thank you, baby, but mami and I. . .we're just gonna go home," she reluctantly declined, though every part of her wanted to wholeheartedly accept his misguided invitation. "Umm. . .Olivia has art class, and Sofia has volleyball. So, we'll just go, but you. . .you have fun. Okay? Lots of fun."_

_Sam nodded in excitement, obviously relieved by his mother's response and, finally freeing himself from her grasp, he turned back toward his friend before taking off running in the direction of the pack of other Wolf Cub Scouts. "Come on, Andrew! This is gonna be so cool!"_

_Callie and Arizona both watched after the boys for several long moments and, finally turning around, Arizona quickly stalked forward, grabbing Alex by the straps of his backpack to forcefully tug him closer to her. "I swear to God, Alex, if that boy comes home with so much as a scratch, I'm going to cut your balls off with my scalpel."_

_Scowling at the woman who was now threatening his manhood, Alex looked over Arizona's shoulder toward her wife. "Dude, your wife is bonkers," he grumbled with a shake of his head._

_Callie merely shrugged, nodding her head as she somehow managed to extract Arizona's hands from the younger man's chest. "Yeah," she agreed, a slight chuckle escaping her lips. "But, she's cute." _

* * *

><p><em>Later that night, Arizona rolled toward the center of the bed, her body instinctively burrowing into the warm shelter of her wife's sleeping form. Insinuating her right knee between two silky smooth thighs, Arizona smiled in contentment as Callie's right hand immediately sought her out, strong fingers grasping at the light cotton pajama shorts they found covering Arizona's hip. <em>

_Propping herself up on her elbow, Arizona rested her head in her hand, satisfied for the moment to just watch her wife sleep because, to this point in the night, sleep was something that continued to evade her. _

_She was just so worried about Sam. He was only eight. He was their baby. He was their only little boy and, while deep down she knew he was okay, she just couldn't stop the incessant worry that filled her mind and soul. _

_This wasn't a new feeling for her; it was this sweet agony made of fear and love, helplessness and faith that had begun when Sofia was born and just continued to grow with the appearance of each new child. _

_Arizona found that she was never free of this feeling for very long; it was her first thought of the day and her last thought at night and, as she tried mightily to return to her slumber cocooned in the warmth and security of her lover's arms, she finally resigned herself to the fact that, while she should still be sleeping, her body and mind were completely unwilling to allow her that luxury. _

_With a heavy sigh, she finally decided that tonight, even attempting to sleep would be completely useless, so carefully extracting her body from the welcoming tangle of her wife's limbs, she quietly donned her prosthesis before moving from the bed to change from her sleep clothes into a pair of black yoga pants and a weathered Johns Hopkins Blue Jays sweatshirt. _

_Gently placing a whisper of a kiss against Callie's lips, Arizona then lovingly watched her wife sleep for a few more seconds and, after making sure her sleeping lover was completely covered by the plush duvet, she silently made her way out of their bedroom. _

_Gently opening Sofia's bedroom door, she watched the fifteen-year-old sleep, before making her way down the hall and into Olivia's room. Smiling at the sight of rebellious arms and legs shooting out in all directions from beneath the blankets, she carefully covered the little girl before descending the stairs. _

_Moving out of the house and onto the patio, she cuddled up with a thick wool blanket she'd commandeered from the back of the sofa on her way toward her destination and, looking up toward the stars, she closed her eyes, a worried sigh leaving her lips. _

_If she wasn't going to be able to sleep, she'd just sit in her favorite location on their property and hopefully somehow set her mind free. _

* * *

><p><em><strong>(Arizona's POV)<strong>_

_My mom, who considers herself an expert on the fine art of worry, has always said the maddening irony of worry is that, whatever we're anxious about, chances are. . .we're freaked out about the wrong thing. _

_As much as I hate to admit it, scientists have proven Mrs. Barbara Robbins right; we do this, researchers say, because when it comes to fears, we're a bit irrational. We tend to rely on emotions more than facts when we decide what to be afraid of; we lose more sleep over man-made risks like our kids being struck by radiation from nuclear waste, more than the natural risk of radiation from the sun. We're more terrified when we're not in control, when we aren't the ones there to guide and look after our kids._

_As absurd as it sounds, worrying can create some sensations we like. Part of why we imagine disasters - something terrible happening to our kids - is that it's an unconscious tool to get at some good feelings; it helps us appreciate what we have, but through the years, Calliope and I have learned that there are other much more productive ways to experience good emotions and positive sensations. _

_They say birth order may also play a role in how high we're strung. Parents tend to hover over first-borns, often implanting unnecessary fear and caution, where later-born kids have buffers between them and their parents. For our family, though, that doesn't seem to be the case. Callie and I have always been more protective of Sam and, if I choose to be honest, it's myself more than her. _

_Somehow though, we've managed to make it work. We don't allow the other to worry alone because we've found that fretting by ourselves only intensifies our fears, and I've found that Callie often - ALWAYS - serves as the reality check I need to keep my brain from launching into an epic melodrama of bee stings and mangled limbs, bike wrecks and broken hearts. _

_I've heard that maturing as a mom means being able to tolerate a certain inevitable amount of risk, but I've honestly found for me, it's only gotten worse with each passing year. _

_It's strange how this has happened, but somehow Calliope and I have slightly merged our personalities; she has calmed a bit, she is slower to anger or to become upset than in our younger years, where I, on the other hand, seem to have taken on some of her traits, worrying and actually voicing my concerns more than I ever did before. _

_Maybe that was the result of the crash. I'm honestly not sure. Or maybe because of the amputation and my subsequent affair, Callie learned to let go, to allow me the chance to voice all of my fears and all of my doubts without feeling pressured to keep it together, while I learned I needed to talk about things in order to remain sane; I needed to let things out and not hold all my thought and fears inside until they exploded into a trillion tiny pieces. Or maybe it's just true that after being with someone for so long, we really do tend to take on their traits and become more like them. I'm not really sure what happened, but what I have come to realize is that NOTHING is in my control, particularly when it comes to our kids. _

_Luckily though, Callie and I have each other for back up and have only had a few visits to the land of heart-stopping panic and, remembering THAT helps keep our worries in check. Calliope Torres is indeed the best sounding board in the world, and I'd like to think that I function as the same for her. _

_Through the years, we've learned to not automatically file either of our concerns under "N" for neurotic; we work as a team to decide what's really worth worrying about. We set aside a time for worrying so we can contain its virulent spread, but we both decided long ago that it's definitely better to store up our worry for when we need it most._

* * *

><p><em>With an icy chill assaulting her toes combined with the strangely uncanny realization that her wife was missing from their bed, Callie slowly opened her eyes, pulling herself from the torment of her dreams. Reluctantly sitting up, she looked around the room, groaning at the coolness of the house even on this late spring night. <em>

_She really hoped Sam was okay, that he was safely snuggled inside his sleeping bag within his tent, a fire outside providing enough heat to keep him warm. She'd tried mightily to remain calm when they'd left him at Camp Pigott earlier that day, but as the day had progressed into evening and the evening into night, her thoughts and fears had definitely proven to get the better of her. Clearly Arizona wasn't the only one who was worried about Sam sleeping out in the wilderness on the cold hard ground. _

_With a sigh, Callie left the bed, grabbing a pair of flannel pajama pants and a thermal long-sleeve shirt to quickly cover her rapidly chilling form. Slipping into a pair of wool socks and a hooded sweatshirt, she then exited the bedroom, stopping first to check on both of the girls. Satisfied that Sofia and Olivia were both safe and sound in the warmth of their beds, she then moved throughout the house in search of her wife. _

_Knowing exactly where to find her, she first entered the kitchen, lighting the burner on the stove to heat some milk for Arizona's favorite hot dark chocolate. _

* * *

><p><em>Ten minutes later, Arizona turned her head from where she'd been staring off into their yard when she heard someone open the kitchen door. Smiling as she watched her wife juggle an extra blanket and two steaming cups of what she assumed was hot cocoa in her arms, she gladly took a proffered mug into her hands before slightly scooting over, allowing Callie to nestle as close to her as she possibly could. <em>

_Handing her own mug to her wife, Callie then spread the extra blanket over their bodies, tucking in the edges to stave off the cool breeze of the suddenly brisk May night. _

"_You warm enough?' Callie asked once she was settled in._

"_I am now," Arizona replied, sipping from her mug. "Mmm, dark chocolate?" she asked, savoring the hot liquid._

"_Of course," Callie stated, taking her own drink of the chocolaty treat. "Your favorite."_

"_Mmmhmm." Arizona smiled, basking in the simplicity of the moment before leaning her head to rest on Callie's shoulder. _

_They sat in silence for several long moments, each lost in their own thoughts as they sipped from their individual mugs. _

_"Do you think Sam's warm enough out there?" Arizona finally asked, her soft voice barely above a whisper. _

_Callie sighed; her wife had just voiced the concern that had been racing through her head since she'd awakened thirty minutes before. "Yeah, I think so," she replied, hoping to convince her wife and herself, as well. "He's sleeping in a tent with Alex and Andrew. He's got extra clothes, blankets, and that sleeping bag you got him is like the best of the best. I. . .I'm sure he's fine."_

_Arizona nodded, though she didn't immediately speak, but after gathering her thoughts she lifted her head from Callie's shoulder so she could look into her wife's eyes as she spoke. "Maybe we should go out there. I mean. . .we could take hot chocolate and extra quilts. Neither of us is going to sleep tonight, anyway. So why not?"_

_Callie momentarily stared into the blue eyes she loved so much, despite their currently melancholy tint and, pursing her lips in actual consideration, she finally shook her head. "We can't do that, sweetie. Sam wanted a boys' weekend, and. . ."_

_"Well, I think that's crap, Calliope!" Arizona quickly argued, not even allowing herself to soften when she saw Callie's eyes go wide at the suddenly incensed tone in her voice. "I-I-I mean. . .I could be a Den Mother or whatever. Not to mention, I'm a freaking pediatric surgeon for God's sake. I would be an incredible asset out there."_

_"Of course you would, honey," Callie agreed, trying to calm her irate wife who was quickly winding up into oblivion. "But. . ."_

_"But nothing, Calliope! This is. . .it's discrimination, that's what it is. Just because Sam has two lesbian moms instead of a dad, we have to stay home while he's out there, all alone. I'm calling Boy Scouts of America. This is a-a-a crime against humanity. It's. . ."_

_"Arizona, stop!" Callie warned, taking her wife's now flailing arms into her hands before she spilled a shower of sweltering hot chocolate all over both their heads. "This isn't a crime against humanity, sweetie. It's just what our son wanted," she tried to rationalize. "It's nothing against you or me or the fact that we're women or even lesbians, for that matter. It's just what Sam wanted. He wanted to spend a weekend with the boys, and I really think we need to respect that."_

_"But what if he expects this all the time? What if Sam is embarrassed of having two moms and no dad? What if. . ." Arizona trailed off, suddenly beginning to lose steam. "What if we were wrong to think that we could successfully raise a boy without the presence of a dad?"_

_Callie sat in silence, completely shocked by her wife's question. She'd never seen Arizona like this in the seventeen years they'd been together; her wife had never been so insecure about their family, so conflicted with her place in any of their children's lives. "You know that's not true, Arizona," she softly contended. _

_Arizona defiantly shook her head. "But what if it IS true? What if we can't do this? What if we're doing our son a disservice? Or-or-or all three of them, for that matter? What if kids really do need a dad and a mom in order to be successful?"_

_Reaching out to take the mug of hot cocoa from her wife's hand, Callie gently set it to the side along with her own before turning back around, gentle fingertips pressing upward on Arizona's downtrodden chin. "Our kids are amazing, Arizona, and all because of the love we give them and the love you and I share," she began, more than a little surprised and worried by her wife's very sudden and highly uncharacteristic admission. "You and I both know that children raised by two moms do just as well as kids raised by a mom and a dad. Hell, single moms raise successful boys all the time. One good parent, is certainly better than two crappy ones, so the fact that Sam has the two of us, two parents who love him with all of our hearts - my God, sweetie - nothing is ever going to be able to hold him back."_

_"But, Sam didn't want us there, Callie. He. . ."_

_"He's eight, Arizona. He's happy. He's smart. He's mild mannered and polite. He's a little boy who wanted to spend the weekend in the woods shooting bows and arrows and 'roughing it' with a bunch of other stinky, smelly boys," she teased in a desperate attempt to bring some semblance of levity to this terribly disparaging conversation._

_"Calliope. . ."_

_Callie reached out, brushing a wayward lock of blonde bangs behind her distraught wife's ear. "The family type that's best for kids is one that has responsible, committed, stable parenting. The gender of parents doesn't matter at all, and our family is the perfect testament to that. We aren't so different, sweetie. We go on vacations. We celebrate holidays. We visit with family and friends. We run, we play. . .we teach our kids strong morals and earnest values. . ." _

_Callie paused, unsure of why she was nervous about how her wife would react to her next words but, deciding to go for it, she cleared her throat before choosing to continue. "I know it hurts. I know you're upset, but every now and then one or all of our kids are going to get tired of the two of us and want to spend time with someone else. Man or woman. Woman or man. It doesn't matter. It's just what happens as they get older, and you know what? That's okay. Because no matter how old they get, we'll always be their parents, Arizona. Always."_

_Large tears welled in Arizona's eyes at the sound of her wife's heartfelt speech and, with a blink, a trail of moisture grazed down two ivory cheeks. _

_"There may not be a dad in this family, but we don't need one. Because our sense of family doesn't come from the presence of a mom and dad, it comes from the commitments we've made to each other and to our kids. The love that binds us together makes our family, Arizona. And our family - our kids - are so much more than I ever could have dreamed."_

_With a wavering exhalation, Arizona quickly wiped at her eyes, leaning forward to fall into the warm cocoon of her wife's embrace. "I. . .I just miss him. He's our baby, Calliope, and I just want to make sure he's always okay."_

_Callie nodded in understanding, pressing a lingering kiss against her wife's moist cheek. "I know you do, honey. And, do you know why?" _

_Sniffling, Arizona leaned back slightly too curiously regard her wife and, when she only shook her head, Callie softly answered. "Because you're a great mom, Arizona. An amazing mom."_

* * *

><p>"So, on Tuesday mornings, you have biology in Kincaid Hall, which is. . ." Arizona paused momentarily to glance down at her watch, "about a seven minute walk from your dorm," she continued, Ray-Ban aviator sunglasses covering her eyes as she stared down at the campus map she'd nabbed from the University Book Store a half hour before. "Then after that you have Inorganic Chem lecture and lab in Bagley Hall. That's only a four minute walk from the Bio building," she continued, turning around to face her wife and son who had been dutifully following behind her on their tour of the campus. "I have to say, though, your Tuesdays and Thursdays kind of suck, bud. Back to back Bio and Chem? Do you think we should request a schedule change?"<p>

Sam shook his head as he made his way toward his tour guide of a mother and, taking the course schedule from her hand, he pointed to the classes on the page. "No, I don't think so, 'cuz that's all I have on those days. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday are much longer days with Math 124, Psych 101, Anatomy and Physiology, and. . .Spanish 121."

Upon hearing her son's course listing, Callie placed the tip of her index finger on the bridge of her sunglasses, pulling them down her nose as one perfectly manicured eyebrow quirked above their frame. "Spanish? You're really wasting our money by taking Spanish?"

"I have to agree, Sam. You and your sisters have been speaking Spanish since you could talk," Arizona concurred, folding the map and tucking it under her arm.

Sam only shrugged, a sheepish look covering his tanned features. "I needed something easy, and besides, _scholarships_ are paying for it, not you. _AND_ it fulfills my foreign language requirement," he stated, handing his schedule back to his mom. "No se preocupe por que las madres. Yo lo tengo todo calculado."

Callie and Arizona both shook their heads, chuckling softly at their son's response. "Did you really just tell us not to worry about it?" Arizona asked, her Spanish much more accurate, but still quite questionable after all these years.

Turning her head to face her wife, Callie's mouth fell open in surprise. "Not bad, babe! You're getting better!" she cheered, wrapping her arm around Arizona's waist and placing a firm kiss against the side of her head.

"Yeah, yeah," Arizona grumbled. "You ready to. . ."

"Hey, Sam!"

The Robbins-Torres clan turned toward the sound of their youngest member's name, all three spotting the blonde haired, blue eyed girl whom they'd known since her family moved down the street from them when she and Sam were both eleven years old.

"Hey, Maddie," Callie greeted as the younger woman made her way across the street to immediately hug Sam.

"Hi, Dr. Torres. Dr. Robbins. It's good to see you," the eighteen-year-old girl wearing jean shorts, a University of Washington Huskies t-shirt, and matching purple Teva flip-flops cheerfully greeted, her bright blue eyes twinkling in the light of the late September sun.

"You know you don't have to call us that," Arizona gently chastised, though she knew Maddie would never change her ways.

She'd been calling them by their professional names for the past seven years and, as hard as they'd both tried, neither of them had been able to break her of the admittedly polite habit.

"Some of the people I met in the dorm and I were just getting ready to go grab something to eat. Wanna come?" she asked, her invitation extended only to Sam who glanced across the street to see a group of other college students waiting for their new friend.

Looking back toward the girl who had been his friend and confidant for the past seven years, Sam then glanced toward his mothers before training his attention back on Maddie.

Opening his mouth to decline her invitation, he started to speak, but was cut off when Arizona cleared her throat. "Go ahead, Sam. We don't mind," she insisted, though her heart felt like it was splitting into a million pieces.

Stepping closer to her wife, Callie once again wrapped a strong arm around Arizona's body, supplying the strength and stability she knew she needed. "It's fine, mijo."

"You sure?" Sam asked, knowing they had originally planned to have dinner together, just the three of them, to commemorate the fact that he was officially moving out of the house and going to college.

Arizona nodded her head, thanking God that her sunglasses were covering the tears that she could feel brimming in her eyes. "Yes. Definitely."

With a relieved smile curling at his lips, Sam reached out to first hug Callie, whispering his '_I love yous_', before making his way toward his shorter mother. "Thanks, mom. I love you, too," he softly spoke in her ear before pulling away.

Arizona gave a tight nod, reaching out to straighten the hem at the arm of his t-shirt. "Go. Have fun."

Nodding, Sam then turned from his moms and, making his way with Maddie across the street to join the group, he turned to give one final wave before disappearing across the campus and out of his mothers' sight.

* * *

><p>"Hey! Do you have anything in mind for dinner?" Callie asked as she made her way out of the office and into the living room later that evening.<p>

Without moving her arm from where it was haphazardly slung over her eyes, her left leg stretched out on the sofa and her right knee bent with her foot resting on the floor, Arizona merely shrugged before opening her mouth to speak. "Whatever you want to do. I don't care. I'm not really hungry," she said with a sigh, her right leg beginning to anxiously bounce up and down.

Arizona had been silent during their short drive from the campus and, while Callie knew it was going to take them both some time to get acclimated to their new life without any of their children living under their roof, she couldn't help but worry at the miserably gloomy sadness that now seeped from Arizona's every pore.

It had been a long time since she had seen her like this, and it literally broke her heart. "We could go out," Callie offered, though this time she received no response. "Yeah. Let's go out! What do you think?" she happily chirped, determinedly attempting to lift her wife's dismal spirits.

"I'm sorry, Callie, but I'd rather we just stay home. I don't really feel like going anywhere," she stated, her eyes still covered by her arm.

With a defeated sigh, Callie knelt down in front of the sofa and, reaching out, she carefully extracted Arizona's arm from her face, lacing their fingers together and holding their joined hands against her heart. "Please talk to me, sweetie. I can't stand to see you like this," she softly beseeched, kissing the back of Arizona's hand before once again resting it back against her chest.

Arizona sighed, shaking her head in an attempt to fend off the tears she'd been valiantly trying to hold at bay. "I. . .I just. . .I can't believe he's gone," she softly cried, her eyes finally opening as large tears dripped down her cheeks.

With unfettered moisture now welling in her own eyes, Callie instantly leaned forward, gathering her broken wife into her arms. "Oh, honey. He's not gone. He's just at college."

"He _is_ gone, Callie," Arizona immediately challenged into a tanned neck, her own arms now wrapping tightly around Callie's back to hold on to her for dear life. "This is how it all starts. First it's college, and then it's choosing to have dinner with his friends instead of his moms. Then he'll want to move across the country like Sofia or to a completely different continent like Olivia. He-he-he'll get a job and probably a wife, and Oh My God! He's probably already doing God only knows what with Maddie in his dorm room as we speak."

Pulling Arizona up off the cushions, Callie situated them so she was now sitting on the sofa next to her wife, her arms refusing to let go of the uncontrollably sobbing woman. "He and Maddie are just friends," she stated, quoting the statement their son had resolutely insisted upon for the past four years. "And it's going to be okay. I promise. The kids may be gone, but. . ."

"But, nothing, Calliope. I-I-I have no idea what to do with myself. I don't even know exactly who I am anymore, or-or-or who I'll be going forward. Parts of me have changed over the years, but my core identity has not budged in the past twenty-five years, because for all that time, I've been a mom," Arizona irrationally argued, her voice choked with the tears that refused to desist.

"Yes, honey, you've been a mom, but you've also been so much more," Callie contended, beginning to rock her wife back and forth in her arms. "You're an amazing wife and a kick ass surgeon. You're beautiful and successful, generous and kind, and you and I both should be kicking up our heels and patting ourselves on the back for raising such miraculous kids," she continued, though Arizona only began to cry harder.

"And not one of those miraculous kids needs me anymore!"

Callie shook her head, at a complete loss of what to say or do to make this situation any better. "I know it might not count, but _I_ need you, Arizona. I've _needed_ you for the past twenty-seven years, and I'm going to continue _needing_ you until the day I die," she tried, praying her hopelessly earnest sentiment would somehow serve to help ease her wife's distress. "And we're going to travel and spend quality time together and do all the things we couldn't do when the kids were here. We'll be at the conference in Key West in two weeks, and. . ."

The ringing of Arizona's iPhone, halted Callie in her speech, both women freezing on the spot when they realized the alert was for a FaceTime chat.

Feeling her wife's body tense even further at the sound, Callie continued to firmly hold her against her own chest. "It's okay. Whoever it is will call back."

Shaking her head against Callie's neck, Arizona pulled back, desperately attempting to compose herself as the phone continued to ring. "Will you see who it is? It could be one of the kids," she replied, her voice barely more than a hoarse whisper. "Sam said he'd call us," she continued, wiping at her face as she cleared her throat.

Grabbing the noisy device from the coffee table, Callie wiped at her own eyes with the back of her hand before looking down at the display. "It's Sofia," she informed, ruefully smiling up at her wife. "Are you sure you want to answer right now?"

Arizona insistently nodded, taking the phone from her wife and, swiping her thumb across the accept button, she anxiously awaited their daughter's beautiful face to appear.

"Hey!" Sofia instantly greeted when she saw her mom, though her face immediately fell when she noted the redness that tinted her mother's usually flawless ivory nose and cheeks, beautiful cerulean eyes now colored significantly lighter from the tears she'd just shed. "Oh my God. Are you okay?" Sofia asked, her voice laced with genuine worry and prodigious fear. "Did something happen to Sam? To Olivia? Is it Grammy or Pop? Abuela or Abuelo?"

Arizona only waved off Sofia as she swallowed hard, leaning into her wife for support when she joined her on the couch. "U-Dub move in day," Callie empathetically stated as she took the phone from Arizona's trembling hand, holding it more steadily so they were both now in the camera's frame. "Sam and Olivia are both okay. So are your grandparents," she gently added, the afflicted look on their daughter's face ripping at her heart.

Sofia nodded in recognition; she was having a difficult time coming to terms with the reality that her baby brother was old enough for college, as well. "Do you want to talk about it? Is Sammy doing alright? Does he need someone to talk to? I was going to call him tonight, anyway. . ."

"Sam's fine, sweetheart," Arizona admitted with a watery smile. "I'm the one who's a blubbering mess," she continued, once again wiping at her eyes. "But. . .enough about that. What's up with you? Everything okay?"

Sofia's uneasy and tense features instantly brightened at the question, a brilliant megawatt smile splitting her face as her left hand moved upward to tuck raven hair behind her ear.

"Oh my God!" Callie immediately gasped, her free hand quickly moving upward to cover her now gaping mouth.

Turning toward her wife, Arizona's brow furrowed in confusion. "What? What did I miss?" she anxiously asked, glancing back toward the grinning younger woman on the screen.

"Well. . .Caleb gave me a certain kind of ring, today," Sofia coyly answered, watching as Arizona's eyes continued to narrow in question and, when she could tell that realization had yet to dawn on her thoroughly flustered and clearly distraught and overwhelmed mom, she legitimately waved her left hand in front of the screen. "Oh my God, Mom! Caleb just asked me to marry him!"


	7. Chapter 7

**Title**: Perfectly Imperfect

**Author**: HandsThatHeal

**Pairing**: Callie/Arizona

**Rating**: M/NC-17 (For Future Chapters)

**Summary**: Big changes bring big upheaval as Callie and Arizona find themselves alone for the first time in years. Will they be able to happily adapt to this new life without their children under their roof or will they now find that they have nothing in common in the absence of the ties that bound them together for so many years? Sequel to _Clarity_.

**Disclaimer**: All television shows, books, movies, songs, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work and the characters, events, and settings thereof are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context and are not intended to be libelous, defamatory, or in any way factual.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter Seven<strong>_

* * *

><p><em><strong>(Arizona's POV)<strong>_

_Two weeks. _

_Well, ten days to be exact. _

_That's all it has taken for my life to go from perfect and wonderful to dark, twisty, and full of dread - and all because. . .I'm not good with loss. In fact, I think it's safe to say that I absolutely suck at it and, over these past ten days, I have learned that dealing with a house completely devoid of my children is the worst loss I've ever experienced. . .well, next to the night I arrived home to a desolate apartment completely empty of my wife and daughter after I stupidly chose to fall into bed with another woman. _

_And, just like that terrible period in my life, this feels like the most horrific death has occurred and, at this point in time, I am completely unable to see even a tiny glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. _

_I am currently in such a state of sorrow that I truly have no idea what to do with myself. It's been less than two weeks since Callie and I helped Sam move into his dormitory at the University of Washington, and I know without a doubt that I am going to have to allow myself to mourn the loss of the relationship that I nourished and shared with him for the past eighteen years. _

_I thought I was ready; I thought I had prepared myself for my last little birdie to leave the nest but, apparently, I was wrong. This should be easy; Callie and I have already been through this twice before but, taking Sam to college and being forced to leave him there, has honestly created within me the worst pain and emptiness I have ever felt. And. . .I'm grieving. I am mourning not just the absence of my son, but the end of an entire phase of my life. _

_Gone are the days of seeing Sam every morning, of having breakfast with him, of making sure he is safe and sound every night and, in thinking about all that I miss about him, I have begun to desperately miss my daughters exponentially more than I already did. _

_I can only describe what I'm feeling as. . .an incredible, gnawing emptiness. And, I'm afraid. Afraid I have not done enough to prepare my children for independence and that my life has now lost all meaning and purpose. _

_I always knew this phase would be hard, but I guess I never knew it would be THIS hard and, as much as I'm dreading the thought of giving Sofia away when I've only just left Sam at college, I've tried to occupy my mind with little wedding things but, to this point, that hasn't seemed to help. _

_I thought maybe by searching endless amounts of websites like Martha Stewart Weddings, Style Me Pretty, and - and even a big ass Brides Magazine for those seemingly mindless little details like the napkins, the food, the favors, and the colors for my eldest daughter's big day, I might temporarily abate my grief, my fear, and this sense of feeling out of control, but so far that has all been for naught. In fact, it quite possibly has made things even worse. _

_I am literally melancholy down to my bones; I am a total mess and my feelings aren't just effecting me, but unfortunately they are causing friction between myself and my wife, and that. . .worries me. For the first time in a very long time, Callie and I aren't on the same page, and I know that is mostly my fault. _

_For some reason, I have retreated inside myself, something I haven't done in years and, my silence, my uncertainty of how to explain exactly what is going on in my mind, is causing more trouble than I care to admit. Callie seems so happy to be without the kids and, while I know she misses them, it just seems like we are handling this change - the grief and the loss - so much differently._

_And, that scares me, because what if she isn't willing to give me the time I need to get my head together? And even worse, what if we no longer have anything in common? It has been over a quarter of a century since she and I have been alone to live our life together, and what if we've changed? What if we don't enjoy the same things we used to? What if the kids are the only interests we now share?_

* * *

><p><em>(<em>_**Callie's POV)**_

_I feel that my job as a parent was to raise my kids to be independent people, to prepare them to stand on their own two feet. Arizona and I always taught our kids to be hard workers, to never give up and, now, I so much want for Sam to spread his wings and try out his new found independence, just like his sisters did before him. _

_Of course I was sad when we left him on Washington's campus that day and, I've shed more than a couple tears, but. . .I have to have faith. I have to trust that he will make sound and correct decisions, and I have to hope beyond hope that he will blossom and thrive. _

_I love all three of my kids and miss them like crazy, but I've decided not to dwell on their absence. Instead, I am choosing to focus on the fact that Arizona and I have just turned another corner. We have entered the next chapter in our story and, just thinking about that, makes me feel like my beautiful wife and I have finally arrived. We are now at the pinnacle of a mountain and, in the distance, I can see the unknown part of our children's lives as well as our life together as a married couple. _

_So, what now? What do we have left to accomplish after we've reached the acme of this hill? The answer to that is easy. . ._

_EVERYTHING! _

_Life is now about self-discovery and, all of the sudden, we actually have time for it. After all the years of our hard work raising an amazing family, it is now our turn to do things just for us. We should spoil ourselves; maybe we should buy a whole new wardrobe or dye our hair a different color, have a massage or read all the books we never got around to. The possibilities are endless and soon there won't be enough hours in the day to do everything we want._

_In just under two weeks, I have found our 'empty nest' to be revitalizing and more than a little liberating. Arizona and I no longer have the day-to-day constraints of living with kids yet, thankfully, we still share our lives with them. We will always be here for them when they call or text and will continue to provide support when they need us most, but it is now time for my wife and me to do things together - to deepen our relationship and nurture our marriage, to pursue our common and individual interests as we set out on this new journey. _

_Unfortunately, though, Arizona doesn't seem to agree. She thinks I'm being callous and refuses to rejoice in the fact that Sofia, Olivia, and Sam are now successfully out on their own. She instead chooses to mourn this loss and, I understand and empathize with her, I really truly do but, at the same time, I can't help but wish she could find the strength to view this as an adventure: the next amazing and wonderful stage in our life together. _

_Instead, she has retreated inside herself, something she hasn't done in years, and her silence is creating a rift between us that I worry will become irreparable if we allow things to continue on as they are. I want so much for her to be happy and to see her smile again; I'm not sure I've witnessed a genuine smile even once since leaving Sam at college. _

_And, her suffering is quite literally killing me. I'm trying to be patient and to provide all the comfort, love, and support she needs when the tears inevitably begin to fall but, so far, I can honestly say I have failed. _

_Epically. _

_Because, my wife won't talk to me. She won't let me help her. She won't allow me to comfort her or spend the time I want to with her._

_I just. . .I somehow need to make her see that we will always be moms, but that this is our time to reassess, to be together and to flourish. _

_Now that the kids are gone, I don't want us to just sit at home idly staring at each other while twiddling our thumbs but, instead, I want to spend time renegotiating our relationship while rediscovering each other. I want us to go back to being a couple, to enjoy quiet walks and romantic vacations, to remember who we were before our family came along. _

_I am simply over the moon about our upcoming new experiences but, at the same time, I'm terrified, because for the first time in forever, Arizona and I aren't on the same page. I am at a loss for how to fix it, and I desperately want to be able to fix it. _

_But, what if I can't? _

_What if I'm never able to make her smile again? _

_What if she's just done? _

_What if my wife of twenty-five years isn't willing to take my hand and join me in the next phase of our life together?_

* * *

><p>Breathing deeply, Callie tipped her head backward to rest against the back of the patio swing, her face instantly heated by the uncharacteristically warm October sun.<p>

She'd been spending a lot of time out on their patio; this was absolutely, without a doubt the place she and Arizona loved most about their home. They had worked year after year to make this area just the way they wanted - planting their favorite Butterfly Bushes and Rose of Sharon, Peonies and Geraniums, and even a small vegetable garden - sometimes with the expert gardening assistance of Sofia, Olivia, and Sam, but other times, just Arizona and herself while the kids played in the pool or in the yard.

Badass Callie Torres certainly never envisioned herself as a gardening kind of girl but, once she started, she found it to be the perfect antidote for the modern world, a way of reclaiming some of the intangible things that somehow got lost in the shuffle of after school rehearsals and practices mixed with busy OR schedules and meetings of the board.

There was just something about being outside and playing in the dirt that felt kind of elemental and beautiful to her. She couldn't quite describe the feeling, but she knew the time spent in this garden oasis alongside her wife - with their daughters and son playing around them, digging for worms or picking strawberries - would forever be some of the fondest memories she held of their life together in this house.

With a rueful sigh, Callie turned her head toward the side of the house, the sound of an opening garage door catching her attention and pulling her from her silent reverie.

Pushing her reading glasses up onto the top of her head, she closed the book in her hands before setting it to the side. She hoped Arizona would emerge from the house to join her once she realized she wasn't inside; they hadn't been on the best of terms since Sam's college move-in day, and Callie desperately wanted to remedy the sense of uncertainty and doubt she was currently experiencing. She and her wife just weren't seeing eye to eye right now, and she absolutely despised the disparaging sensations the current state of their relationship was causing.

After about five minutes of waiting, Arizona did indeed appear out the kitchen door and, with a meager smile on her face that in no way reached her eyes, she slowly made her way across the patio to take a seat next to her wife. "Hey," she softly spoke, pressing a chaste kiss against Callie's cheek.

"Hey," Callie replied, just as faintly, her magical brown eyes apprehensively flicking to meet somber cerulean ones. "How was your meeting?" she asked, worried by the fact that their conversation no longer seemed to flow as easily as it usually did.

She was shocked that all this had happened in just under two weeks, but she understood; Arizona was currently experiencing _Empty Nest Syndrome_ in the very worst of ways.

Arizona shrugged, leaning back against the slats of the swing, her shoulder lightly brushing against that of her wife. "Frustrating, as usual. How was your day? Today was knee replacement day, right?" she asked, her hand coming to rest on Callie's left thigh.

Callie smiled at the familiar touch, her heart rate speeding up just a bit at the thought that perhaps her wife was finally pulling herself from the persistent depression she'd fallen victim to over the past week and a half. "Yep. Same old," she replied, placing her palm over Arizona's hand and lacing their fingers together.

They then sat in silence for several long moments, both women lost in their own thoughts as they relished in the warmth of this autumn evening before Callie finally broke the strange and uncomfortable silence. "I have some errands to run tonight. I need to get a few things for our trip. Want to grab dinner somewhere and then go shopping?"

Arizona didn't immediately respond, her shoulders slumping at the thought of having to leave the house for more than work. "I. . .umm. . .I think I'll just stay home if that's okay with you," she answered, immediately removing her hand from between the warmth of Callie's palm and the top of her wife's leg.

Callie swallowed hard, her eyes beginning to glisten with tears. "Yeah. Sure. Okay," she vaguely replied as Arizona stood from her seat. "Do you need anything? Want me to bring something home for us to eat?"

Arizona only shook her head and, leaning over to carelessly kiss the side of her wife's face, she quickly made her way back into the house, leaving a dejected and disheartened Callie seated all alone in their favorite spot.

* * *

><p>Three hours later, Callie entered the house and, throwing her purse onto the floor under the coat rack, she shrugged out of her leather jacket, hanging it up before making her way through the dimly lit downstairs. Trudging up the steps toward the master bedroom, she let out an exaggerated sigh, pausing just outside the closed door.<p>

Never in a million years did she think she would be spending so much time alone after all three kids were gone, and the fact that this was exactly how she'd been filling most of her time was really beginning to wear on her. She assumed when Sam left for college that she and Arizona would spend their evenings cooking together or enjoying dinner at their favorite restaurants, cuddling in bed or on the couch while reading books or watching TV, or perhaps even making love in any room of the house they chose, without a care in the world about the presence of anyone else nearby. She had so been looking forward to this time, but now all she could think about was the fact that maybe Arizona just wasn't interested in spending time alone with her and that she and her wife now had absolutely nothing in common.

With a final exhale of breath, she tried mightily to gather her nerves and her fears before quietly padding into their bedroom. It initially appeared that Arizona was already asleep, but upon further inspection, she realized she was actually awake, her eyes staring off into oblivion.

Deciding to take a chance, she dropped her shopping bags onto the floor before leaning down to peck her wife's cheek. "Hi," she whispered, her lips lingering against the shell of a fair ear.

Sluggishly rolling onto her back, Arizona stared up into Callie's eyes. "Hey. Get everything you needed?"

With an affirmative nod, Callie then moved to the dresser to pull out her pajamas. "I'll just be a couple minutes," she informed before disappearing into the ensuite bathroom and closing the door.

* * *

><p>Twenty minutes later, Callie emerged from the bathroom, her hair still damp from the shower and, climbing under the fluffy duvet, she rolled into the middle of the bed, her right arm immediately snaking over Arizona's side.<p>

As their fingers tangled together, she pulled the smaller woman's body firmly against her front and, propping herself up on her elbow, she gazed down at the side of her wife's face before pressing a trail of kisses against an alabaster jawline. "I'm so excited about this trip, sweetie. How long has it been since we've been on a vacation together just the two of us?" she rhetorically asked, unlacing their fingers to seductively blaze a trail under the blue camisole her wife wore, a tanned hand lightly grazing against the swell of Arizona's breast.

Arizona's eyes sluggishly fell shut, her teeth digging into the flesh of her own bottom lip when a wanton hand cupped the weight of her breast, plump lips continuing to leave moist kisses against her jaw and neck.

"Mmmm, you feel so good," Callie husked, her hand leaving Arizona chest to lightly trace down the smooth skin of her abdomen, experienced fingertips disappearing into the waistband of satin panties.

Callie's touch never ceased to light her body on fire even after all these years but, placing her own hand over the brunette's and forcing her to suspend the intimate contact, she quickly scooted out of her embrace. "Not tonight, Calliope," she firmly stated, refusing to roll over to witness the hurt and rejection she knew she would find in those irresistible chocolate pools she'd found herself drowning in every single day for the past twenty-seven years.

"Arizo. . ."

"I said, _NOT_ tonight, Callie," she adamantly contended, her tone dripping with an air of finality.

Callie opened her mouth to argue, but not wanting to be a jerk by pressuring her wife into something she clearly didn't want to have anything to do with, she flopped onto her back without saying a word, biting her tongue in order to prevent herself from saying something she knew she would regret.

She understood Arizona missed Sam and that she was having a difficult time adjusting to the fact that Sofia would soon be getting married; Callie was well aware that this often occurred in parents when their kids were all out of the house, but she couldn't help but feel that something in their relationship had suddenly changed. Arizona had never refused to spend time with her with no perceivable reason and, the hurt that caused, combined with the unease she felt at the thought that they were slowly slipping away from each other, scared her to death.

They were great just two weeks ago; happy, in love, and celebrating their recent research success, but now. . .Callie just didn't know.

So, with one final exhalation, she scooted further away from her wife's rigid form, positioning herself near the opposite edge of the bed. She lay in silence, her mind racing for what seemed like forever and, just as she was about to get out of the bed to go do some work in the office, she felt the mattress shift, Arizona's arm tugging at her to pull her into the center of the bed.

Nuzzling her nose into the still damp hair at the back of Callie's head, Arizona deeply inhaled the intoxicating pomegranate-vanilla scent she loved so much. "Goodnight, Calliope," she whispered into the darkness as she unrelentingly held her wife close to her chest. "I love you."

Callie closed her eyes, tightly squeezing them shut. "I love you, too."

* * *

><p>The following day, Callie stood with her hands on her hips, anxiously staring at the clothes hanging in her closet before grabbing a black cocktail dress from the rack and holding it up against her body as she stared at herself in the mirror. "I'm sorry, Sof," she then said into the empty bedroom as she threw the dress down on the bed before switching tasks to gather the bras and underwear she needed to pack for their trip to Key West. "Your mom ran into work to take care of some things before we leave for the conference."<p>

"That's okay," Sofia replied, her voice coming from the iPad resting in the middle of the mattress, the younger Latina's face on the screen, though all she could see in return was the ceiling of her mothers' bedroom. "I have class in about fifteen minutes, but I just wanted to talk to you about some wedding stuff," she continued, her voice chipper and clearly in love.

Crossing the room, Callie tugged an empty suitcase off the unmade bed before settling herself down in the middle of it and grabbing the tablet. "Isn't it a little early to be making wedding plans?" she skeptically asked, her chest tightening with a strange mix of pride and bereavement all wrapped up into one indescribable emotion. "I was under the impression you and Caleb were going to wait a while to get married."

Sofia stared back at her mom, clearly relieved to see a person instead of the white plaster of the vaulted ceiling. "We're waiting until next summer, but we've made a couple little decisions that I've been dying to let you and mom know about," she happily informed, an infectious smile lighting her face and causing her dark brown eyes to twinkle with pure unadulterated joy.

Callie couldn't help but return that beautiful grin, though she desperately wished Arizona was there with her to share in their daughter's obvious excitement.

Even though Callie was smiling back at her, there was some amount of chagrin darkening her mother's features, causing Sofia's own brow to furrow in concern. "Are you okay?" she tentatively asked. "You don't seem as excited about your trip _or_ my wedding as you were a couple weeks ago."

Callie's eyes immediately went wide; of course she was thrilled about the award she and Arizona were being presented, not to mention, the opportunity to spend a week away with her wife. And, though she didn't initially think she would be, she really was getting more and more excited about Sofia's impending nuptials.

"No, sweetie. No. It's not that. It's. . ."

When her mother didn't continue, Sofia paused, waiting for her to elaborate, but when the silence persisted, she finally opened her mouth. "It's what, mami?" the younger woman urged. "What's going on?"

Callie could feel the sting of tears brimming in her eyes as she looked upward in an attempt to keep them from sliding down her face. She was so frustrated and she desperately wanted someone to confide in but, choosing not to bring their children into the middle of whatever was going on between Arizona and herself, she looked back into the camera before shaking her head. "It's nothing, Sof. Really. Momma and I are just having a tough time adjusting to Sam being gone," she partially maligned.

Sofia skeptically regarded her mother, completely unconvinced by her explanation. "Anything I can do?"

Callie tipped her head to the side and, with a quick wink, her lips tugged into a more genuine smile. "Absolutely," she informed with a conspiratorial gleam in her eyes. "Cheer me up, please! Tell me all about these big wedding plans!"

* * *

><p>Later that night, Callie sat alone in the middle of the living room sofa, a glass of Pinot Noir in her hand, the half empty bottle sitting on the coffee table in front of her.<p>

She'd once again spent the day alone even though Arizona had promised to be home by lunch; she'd even prepared a romantic dinner for them to share, which had eventually ended up in the trash after going completely cold as the hours passed by. So, now she sat, nearing the end of her third glass of wine, her mind a million miles away as she stared at some indiscriminate spot on the wall across from her.

"Hey."

Callie jumped at the sound of Arizona's voice, though she didn't immediately turn in her direction. "You're late," she softly stated, taking a sip of wine.

Arizona sighed as she sat a cushion length away from her wife, her hands running up and down the top of her jean clad thighs. "Yeah. I know. I'm sorry. I got caught up with the surgical budget which _still_ hasn't been approved. . ." she stated, her tired blue eyes rolling in their sockets. "And then I got paged to the ER. Ended up having to do a splenectomy on an eleven year old."

Callie gave a tight nod, her lips coming together to form a firm line. "Pretty busy schedule for someone who wasn't even supposed to work today," she scoffed, her head finally turning so she could regard her wife.

Arizona's eyes narrowed at the accusation she sensed in Callie's tone but, remaining silent, stormy blue eyes engaged distressed brown ones in an epic staring contest.

"You missed a call from Sofia," Callie soon stated, her hoarse voice breaking the silence they seemed to constantly be residing in as of late. "She and Caleb have made some wedding plans. She. . ."

"I can't even think about that right now," Arizona interrupted, quickly turning away from her wife.

Callie angrily shook her head; she wasn't drunk, but her inhibitions were severely lowered, and she really needed to get some things off her chest. "Well, you might not _want_ to think about it, Arizona, but it's happening. Our little girl is getting married this summer whether you '_can think about it'_ or not!"

Feeling the overwhelming need to escape this situation, Arizona briskly stood from her seat, though she was halted when Callie grabbed her hand, refusing to let it go. "Sofia wants to get married in the exact same spot we did, Arizona. She wants to marry the man she loves in the same place where you and I stood, pledging the rest of our lives to each other - not once, but twice."

Hesitantly sitting back down, Arizona looked toward her wife, her jaw clenched. "I don't know what you want me to say, Calliope," she said, her voice tight.

"Anything at all would be nice!" Callie immediately shot back. "You've been mute for the past two weeks, Arizona, and I really need you to talk to me!"

Arizona's eyes widened at Callie's exclamation but, before she could respond, the taller woman jumped to her feet, her fingertips massaging her temples as she began to pace the length of the room. "I. . .I know you're upset about Sam, but him going to college was inevitable, Arizona, and Sofia really needs us right now," Callie tried to rationalize. "She's just. . .she's so, _so_ happy. You should have seen her today; she never stopped smiling, her eyes were so bright and so beautiful. She's so excited about taking this next step in her life, and you're going to miss out on all of it because you refuse to get your stubborn head out of your ass!"

"I'm not being stubborn, Calliope! I've been looking at wedding stuff online and in magazines. I. . ."

Callie huffed at her wife's deficient defense, rolling her eyes as she stalked out of the room.

Returning only moments later with a large Brides Magazine in her hand, she dropped it to the coffee table with a loud thud. "You mean this magazine?" she questioned with a shake of her head. "The one I found in the trash this afternoon?"

Arizona's eyes only widened as she defiantly stared back at her wife before turning on her heel to make her way out of the room. She didn't know where she was going, but she knew she needed to remove herself from the situation before things escalated to a point _way_ beyond repair. She just couldn't face this right now. She was afraid and felt like she had no control over anything, and that scared her to death.

"We promised each other a long time ago we wouldn't do this again, Arizona!" Callie called out, her voice raised as she watched her wife's retreating form halt mid-stride. "We promised we'd talk to each other a-a-and never shut the other out, but for some reason, that's exactly what you've decided to do!"

Arizona's back stiffened, her posture rigid as she continued to stand facing away from her wife.

Was she really doing that? Was she really refusing to participate in one of her children's happiness because she so desperately missed another?

"In a matter of two weeks, you and I have gone from insanely happy and looking forward to the future, to not even speaking to each other. We're just two ships passing in the night, and that scares me, Arizona. I can't stand to see you like this, and it's killing me that you've suddenly chosen to shut me out," Callie admitted, tears now beginning to wet her face.

Finally turning around, Arizona quietly stared at her wife, unsure of what she should say. "I. . .I didn't mean to do that, Calliope. I. . ." Trailing off, her eyes brimmed with tears; she couldn't remember the last time she'd seen her wife look so dejected. "Callie. . ."

"Let me help, Arizona. Please. I'm here for you. Let me be your sounding board and your listening ear. Let me be the shoulder you cry on if you need to. You don't have to be tough around me. You know that. Please. Please. . .just let me in."

Arizona leaned forward, a lone tear escaping the confines of her eyes and dripping down her cheek.

"Please. . ." Callie again begged, her heart breaking at the distress and sadness she saw written in her wife's eyes and across her every feature. "Please."

Arizona opened her mouth to speak and, just when Callie thought her wife was finally going to give in and talk to her, she turned around and walked away.

* * *

><p>Stepping into living room the following morning, Callie silently watched as Arizona sat on the sofa, aimlessly throwing several electronic devices and their chargers into her purse. Arizona Robbins always did everything with purpose, and it was clear from the aberrant look on her face and the capricious way with which she was packing her bag that she simply did not want to embark on this trip to Key West.<p>

So, deciding it was up to her to give her wife the permission she was seeking to stay in Seattle, Callie sighed before opening her mouth to speak. "I know you don't want to go to the conference."

Blue eyes immediately shot up in the direction of her wife's voice, obvious surprise taking over her every feature. "That's not true, Calliope. I want to go. . ."

"But?" Callie asked with a sardonic laugh upon hearing the uncertainty dripping from her wife's every word.

Arizona shook her head; she didn't want to be angry or arguing with her wife before getting on a plane but, lately, that seemed to be how they spent most of their days and nights. "But, nothing."

With a heavy sigh, Callie shook her head, grabbing her carry-on luggage from the corner of the room. "Look, Arizona," Callie paused, swallowing hard as she gathered her thoughts. Lately, I've had a lot of time to sit and think. Hell, last night, I spent the entire night in the guest bedroom thinking and thinking and, after all of that, I've only been able to come to one conclusion," she stated, her voice cracking as she spoke. "And what I've come up with is. . .clearly our marriage isn't as wonderful or as stable as I thought it-"

"No, Callie. It's not that at all. It's. . ."

"And over the past two weeks, it's become blatantly obvious that there's a problem with our relationship that I didn't even know existed," Callie pushed through without pause. "And maybe it's my fault. Maybe I've been blind, or maybe having Sam around just helped to cement us together. Or-or-or maybe it's simply a case of. . .after being parents for so long, we've forgotten how to be lovers. Or maybe it's all of this things, I really don't know," she reluctantly admitted, her heart literally breaking in two at the thought. "And I'm confused. This all seems to have come out of nowhere. Nothing feels certain anymore, and I don't know what's happening but, what I do know is, right now, you and I should be _over the moon_ about going on a vacation together. We should be proud of ourselves for raising three beautiful, miraculous, brilliant children, and we should be celebrating that personal success combined with a professional one."

Pausing momentarily, Callie thought Arizona might try to interject but, when she did not, she cleared her throat, the incessant thoughts that had kept her awake the entire night before, now falling freely from her lips. "But we're not doing that. We're not celebrating our successes, and I don't know why. I have absolutely no idea what you're thinking, Arizona, because you won't talk to me."

Callie once again thought her wife might take the opportunity to speak but, hearing nothing more than the ticking of a grandfather clock in the corner of the room, she shook her head in frustration. "So, I'm going to go to Florida. I'm going to go and accept the award for the research we've worked together on for the past three years. Then, I think I'll fly from Key West to spend a couple days with my parents and, hopefully by the time I get back, _you_ will have decided what you want to do."

"Calliope. . ."

"I'm not going to force you to take a trip with me that you clearly could care less about but, I can't stay here, Arizona. I can't watch you fade away, and I. . .I just hope if I'm patient, you'll eventually be ready to talk honestly and openly with me about the direction our relationship is going, because right now. . .it's clearly going nowhere."

Arizona opened her mouth to argue, to scream and to yell anything she could to challenge her wife's words but, before she could, Callie stepped forward, pressing a lingering kiss against her cheek before turning around and disappearing out the front door.

* * *

><p>Arizona's mouth fell agape as she listened to Callie's car back out of the driveway, the rumbling of its engine then speeding away from their house.<p>

She couldn't believe Callie had just said the things she had, nor could she believe she'd actually just left her standing there all alone in their living room. Arizona knew she should have stopped her, that she should have forced her wife to turn around so she could finally talk to her about the depression she could feel taking hold of her with its greedy little hands, but she was so shocked by Callie's speech that she was wholeheartedly unable to gather herself enough to make words.

The ringing of her iPad from where she'd just thrown it into her purse soon caught her attention and, rushing to where the bag remained on the floor in front of the couch, she quickly dug through it, hoping beyond hope that Callie had come to her senses and decided to give her a call.

Finally pulling the device from her bag, she sat on the couch, anxiously glancing down at the screen.

Olivia.

Blowing out a cleansing breath in a desperate attempt to gather her frazzled nerves and breaking heart, she swiped her thumb across the accept button, awaiting her youngest daughter's face to fill the screen.

"Hey, Liv. What's up?" she asked when she saw the young woman staring back at her before reaching to the end table to grab a tissue from the box.

"Seriously? You're asking me what's up when you're sitting there clearly crying your eyes out?" Olivia immediately questioned, her expressive brown eyes wide and full of life. "I just got off the phone with Sofia, mom, and she's freaking the hell out. She thinks something's going on between you and mami and that you don't want her to marry Caleb," she harshly continued, clearly exasperated by the hysterical Skype session she'd just had with her older sister.

Arizona's mouth fell open with a gasp, her eyes squeezing shut as she shook her head. Not only was her marriage of twenty-five years teetering on the edge of. . ._something_, her children now hated her, too. "Please, Olivia. You have no idea what's going on here, so please, just _DON'T _start."

Olivia shook her head, unsure of what Sofia expected she would be able to accomplish from nearly six thousand miles away. "I can't just do nothing, mom. Sofia called me crying. She said she talked to mami yesterday and that you are completely uninterested in her wedding. She thinks you and mami are getting a divorce, for God's sake!"

That "_D_" word instantly caught Arizona's attention, her own eyes widening as she gazed into the worried brown ones of her daughter; they were the same exact eyes that had been helplessly staring at her, trying to get her to open up and talk, for the past two weeks.

God, why did Olivia and Sofia both have to look so much like Callie?

"Mami and I are definitely _NOT_ getting a divorce, Olivia, and I am so happy for your sister, it's not even funny. I. . .I just. . ."

"Just what, mom? What's going on?" Olivia demanded, frustrated by the fact that her family appeared to be tearing apart at the seams.

When Arizona only shook her head, Olivia's face suddenly lit with recognition. "You're doing it again, aren't you?" she asked, a smug slant to her plump lips. "That thing. You're doing that thing."

"What are you talking about?" Arizona impatiently questioned, in no mood to be scolded by her twenty-year-old daughter.

"You know - that thing where you go inside yourself, and mami gets all pissed because you won't talk to her, and then the shit hits the fan."

Arizona's eyes once again widened at the bluntness of her daughter's statement and the disrespect with which she had just delivered it. "Olivia Grace!" she angrily chided, her mouth hanging open in shock.

"What, mom?" Olivia asked with a shake of her head. "It's what you do. You always have. You know it, and so do we. For some reason, it's what makes the two of you click," she continued, her admonishing tone remaining strong. "You both are under some deluded impression that you've changed or something, and I will admit that you have gotten better with age but, clearly, you two are still just as sassy a-a-and pig headed as you were like a _hundred_ years ago."

Arizona sat in shocked silence, her mouth taking its sweet time to catch up with her brain. "Did you just call your mother and me _old_?" she finally chastised, still unwilling to admit that Olivia quite possibly had just hit the nail on the head.

"Not the point, mother," Olivia countered with a wave of her hand.

Though, she knew her daughter was one hundred percent correct, Arizona hadn't realized her kids had paid that much attention to the way she and Callie handled disagreements, nor did she really want to admit the fault in either of their actions. But, with a heavy sigh of defeat, Arizona wiped her nose with the tissue she held in her hand before nodding her head.

"You may be a _little_ bit right. I have _'gone inside myself' _over the past couple weeks," she reluctantly conceded with a roll of tearful blue eyes. "It's just been so hard since Sam moved out, and I don't want to bother mami with all this sadness I'm feeling when she's _so_ happy. She wants us to travel and to reconnect with each other when all I can think about is the fact that I'm getting _OLD _and that my kids are leaving me!"

Olivia shook her head, a smile curving at the ends of her lips. "Now, was that really so difficult to admit?" she asked with a slight chuckle. "You two are so predictable," she gently teased with a roll of her eyes.

"We are _not_ predictable," Arizona argued. "We've changed, and we've grown. Our personalities have meshed together, and. . ."

"You can keep telling yourself that all you want, but still. . .you know how mami can be," Olivia decided to continue, content that Arizona was finally willing to see at least a tiny bit of reason. "She's vivacious and has this zest for life but, you know as well as I do, she's upset about Sam leaving, too. She's just trying to make everything better by throwing herself into other stuff," she tried to explain. "And really, what's so terrible about her wanting to throw herself into _you_?"

Arizona once again sat quietly, utterly shocked by this sudden revelation, but strangely proud of the observation Olivia had made after being their daughter for nearly twenty-one years. "You. . .you're right, Olivia. I've been. . .God I'm such a mess," she sadly relented.

Olivia shook her head in disagreement, a relieved grin now consuming her face. "You're not a mess, mom. You're just a super stubborn, type-A know-it-all."

Shaking her finger at the screen, Arizona tipped her head to the side. "Everything you've just said may be correct, Olivia, but I _am_ still your mother," she scolded, a reproachful glare shining in her eyes.

Now worried that she'd gone too far, Olivia's pridefully beaming face slowly fell as she swallowed hard. "You. . .you're not mad at me are you? I mean. . .I wasn't trying to be rude. I-I-I was just worried, and Sofia scared the shi. . .umm, crap out of me. I-I'm sorry, mom. I didn't mean to yell or call you old and stubborn and pig-headed or-or-or to curse at you or any of the dozen other disrespectful things I've done in the past ten minutes," she nervously rambled.

"Sassy. You called me sassy, too."

"Oh, did I?" Olivia questioned as she anxiously tucked her hair behind her ear. "I-I'm sorry about that. Too."

Arizona's face remained stern, her piercing blue eyes boring into Olivia's soul but, unable to keep up the charade for too long, a genuine dimpled grin tugged at her lips for the first time in two weeks. "I'm not mad at you, Olivia. Actually, I'm really glad you called."

* * *

><p>Sitting at her departure gate at Sea-Tac International Airport, Callie stared down at the phone she held in her hand, a tanned thumb hovering over the send button as the familiar digits of her wife's number graced the illuminated display.<p>

She had hysterically cried during her entire drive to the airport, her heart shattering into a million pieces with every breath she took. She was hurt more than she thought she would be by the fact that Arizona continued to refuse to talk to her, but mostly by the fact that her wife had made no attempt to stop her from walking out their front door.

In fact, she still couldn't believe she'd actually done it, that she'd walked away from her wife and, the regret that was currently consuming her at the words she'd uttered and the actions she'd taken, was literally killing her. She was at a complete loss at how quickly things had come crashing down around her, and the fact that Arizona had reverted back to her old ways of dealing with conflict and despair was something she couldn't quite understand.

Why now? Why after all these years did she choose this time to shut her out?

Maybe neither of them had changed as much as they thought they had over the years.

She knew their marriage wasn't perfect; she and Arizona had engaged in their fair share of disagreements and arguments over the length of their time together, but this time - _this_ argument - felt so much like the year in their life consisting of a place crash, an amputation, and an affair that Callie seriously was living in a perpetual state of feeling like she was going to puke.

Continuing to stare at her phone, Callie then wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand and, knowing deep down that the intolerable pain currently twisting and wrenching at her insides would never calm unless she gave in and called her wife, she quickly pressed the send button before bringing the phone up to her ear.

Her knees anxiously bounced up and down as she waited for Arizona to pick up and, with each passing ring, Callie's heart fell a little further into the pit of her stomach. Nine rings in, she finally decided to hang up.

"What have I done?" she quietly asked before brusquely throwing the phone into her purse.

With a shake of her head at Arizona's continued refusal to talk to her, she gathered her carry-on bag before trudging toward the ladies restroom, hoping to be able to compose herself before it was time to board the plane.

Silently scrutinizing herself in the mirror, she rolled her eyes. Dark mascara and eyeliner ran down her cheeks from the tears she'd allowed herself to shed and, with a quick rip of a paper towel, she wet it in the spray of the faucet before dabbing at her eyes.

After several long moments of silently attempting to make herself more presentable, she groaned at her sobby reflection before finally deeming herself acceptable _enough_ to leave the bathroom. She wasn't trying to impress anyone, anyway; there was only one person she ever wanted to impress, and she was currently not speaking to her.

So, with a sniffle and a clearing of her throat, she intently listened as the first boarding announcement was made for her flight and, with one last glance into the mirror, she resolutely turned around, steeling herself to walk out the bathroom door and directly into an uncertain future, even though her wife - her partner, her rock, her lover, and her best friend - was missing from her side.


	8. Chapter 8

**Title**: Perfectly Imperfect

**Author**: HandsThatHeal

**Pairing**: Callie/Arizona

**Rating**: M/NC-17 (For Future Chapters)

**Summary**: Big changes bring big upheaval as Callie and Arizona find themselves alone for the first time in years. Will they be able to happily adapt to this new life without their children under their roof or will they now find that they have nothing in common in the absence of the ties that bound them together for so many years? Sequel to _Clarity_.

**Disclaimer**: All television shows, books, movies, songs, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work and the characters, events, and settings thereof are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context and are not intended to be libelous, defamatory, or in any way factual.

**AN: **While editing this chapter, I realized it actually works better as two. So, chapter eight has now become chapters eight and nine. That means there will be eleven chapters prior to the new one. That's a chapter a day until the new one is posted this coming Saturday. Thanks for bearing with me. Enjoy!

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter Eight<strong>_

* * *

><p>Digging the heels of her hands into her eyes, Callie took another moment to attempt to gather herself; she was wholeheartedly unable to stop the tears that were insistent upon continuing to fall. Maybe she should just go home. Maybe she should be stronger. Maybe she should be more patient and. . .<p>

The opening of the bathroom door quickly caught Callie's attention and, dropping her hands to her sides, she slowly dragged her watery eyes upward, her mouth falling open with a gasp and her eyes going wide at the sight of the love of her life awkwardly trying to tug her wheeled carry-on bag through the door.

"Hey," Arizona greeted, tripping slightly when her left foot stubbed against the side of her suitcase but, reflexively reaching out for the tiled bathroom wall, she was quickly able to catch herself before she fell. "Sorry it took me so long," she innocently stated with a determined smile.

A thousand different emotions flashed across Callie's face upon seeing her wife; relief, love, frustration, and hurt all making an appearance in her magical brown eyes and downtrodden face.

Too shocked to make words, Callie didn't utter a single word. She found herself speechless for more reasons than she could even fathom, so not knowing what else to do, she just stood there, her head tipped to the side as she waited for her wife to speak.

"You look really pretty."

A bark of cynical laughter fell from Callie's lips upon hearing those words and, with a heavy sigh, she angrily shook her head. "I look like total crap, Arizona," she harshly snapped.

Nervously adjusting the strap of her purse on her shoulder, Arizona swallowed hard before filling the distance that remained between herself and her wife. "Sometimes I can be really stubborn," she began by way of explanation, repeating the characterization of herself that not only her wife, but Olivia had described, as well.

"Understatement of the century," Callie scoffed without remorse.

Sensing that perhaps following her wife to the airport was a huge mistake, that she should have just let Callie go it alone for a little while to give her the time she needed to cool off, Arizona nodded her head, though she was staunchly determined to change her wife's mind.

"You're right. I've been awful, and I don't really know what happened. I-I-I thought I'd gotten so much better about not shutting down, but I guess. . .I guess I was wrong," Arizona stated, the words their daughter had spoken to her only an hour before still brightly flashing through her head. "And I don't know why I'm so upset about this. I. . ."

"Because you refused to let me help you, Arizona! That's why! Because you chose to internalize everything and not let me struggle through this right along with you," Callie impatiently spat. She couldn't deny the fact that she was relieved to see her wife standing there, but she was still incredibly hurt and confused at the same time and, totally unsure of what to do with herself or how to express how she was feeling, her immediate recourse was to act in anger. "Do you know how infuriating that is? That you chose to shut me out just like you used to?" she rhetorically asked.

Arizona nodded her head, anxiously wetting completely arid lips. "I know, Calliope. I know things between us have been less than stellar. . .

"Less than stellar? Really? Things between us absolutely _SUCK_!" Callie petulantly shot back; she was in no mood to sugar coat anything at this point in time as they stood there screaming at each other in the middle of an airport bathroom.

"And I'm sorry for that. _So_ sorry. I never meant to hurt you, but you were so happy, and I just. . .I got so caught up in missing Sam and the thought of Sofia getting married that I. . .I just didn't think you'd want to talk to me about it when you were so glad to be alone."

Unable to believe the words she was hearing, Callie shook her head. "What kind of a heartless bitch do you think I am?" she yelled. "Do you honestly believe that I don't miss our son? Or any of our kids, for that matter? Do you think I'm so callous that now that we have no kids in the house, I'm just like _jumping_ for joy?"

"No, I. . ." Arizona trailed off, now completely sure this was all a huge mistake.

Becoming more and more enraged at Arizona's continued silence, Callie grabbed her bag before moving around her wife toward the closed bathroom door. "We will only survive as a couple if we talk to each other. You know that as well as I do. Because, when we don't, we completely and totally deconstruct," she said before turning away from her wife to slightly push the door ajar but, pausing momentarily to gather her thoughts and her nerve, she then slowly turned back around, sighing as she ruefully shook her head. "Had you just taken the time to talk to me instead of trying to process things on your own, you may have seen that I'm not exactly happy either. What I am, though, is _excited_ about the new adventure and the future I _thought_ I was going to get to share with my wife," she continued, her voice lowering with a strain of finality.

Watching as Callie began to step out the door, something inside Arizona finally snapped and, quickly moving around her wife, she somehow managed to successfully wedge herself between Callie and the door. "You're right, and I'm here now, Calliope. I'm ready to communicate, yet you're the one who's walking away."

Too upset to see the truth in her wife's words, Callie only rolled her eyes as she tried to bowl past the smaller woman who still stood firm, successfully thwarting her escape.

"You're not going to walk away from me, Calliope Torres! I'm not going to let you!" Arizona demanded, watching as an emotion she couldn't quite describe suddenly flashed through Callie's sorrowful, but fiery brown eyes. And just when she thought she was literally going to knock her down to get out the door, an overhead announcement halted Callie's forward progress.

_"This is the final boarding call for United flight 705 to Miami. Would all remaining passengers for this flight please report to gate three."_

Callie and Arizona looked upward as they listened to the announcement and, with angry brown eyes flicking down to lock with repentant bright blue, Arizona forcefully grabbed at her wife's hand, auspiciously removing it from the door knob to tightly hold it within her own.

"I'm not going anywhere, Calliope. Not unless you are right there with me," she argued, her tone firm and unrelenting. "Because you're right. We _should_ be celebrating this amazing success we have achieved. And, I know we need to talk. We definitely need to have a conversation, but right now, _you_ have two choices. You can either walk out this door and head home, or you can walk out this door and get on that plane. No matter which you choose, though, you're going to do it with _me_. I'm going to be right there with you, Calliope. Because, I'm totally committed to you, and I refuse to go anywhere without you right there by my side."

* * *

><p>Walking down the hallway toward the one bedroom oceanfront suite at the Ocean Key Resort in Key West, Callie paused before entering the room, her back resting against the door.<p>

She couldn't believe the day's events. Hell, she couldn't believe the events of the past two weeks. She just wanted everything to go back to the way it was before, when Arizona was happy and smiling, and she didn't feel like the rug was literally going to be pulled out from under her every time she turned around.

"I'm getting too old for this," she quietly muttered to herself before turning around and slipping her key card into the slot in the door.

Hearing the door open, Arizona immediately looked over her shoulder from where she sat on the sofa in the middle of the room, the sliding doors leading onto the lanai pushed open to fill the suite with a warm tropical breeze. "Everything taken care of?" she asked, folding the itinerary for the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons Annual Conference they were attending.

Callie nodded her head, tension continuing to underlay her every thought and her every move since they had boarded the flight from Seattle some nine hours before. They spent most of their initial flight, the layover in Miami, and then the connecting flight to Key West in uncomfortable and introspective silence; Arizona had attempted to begin the conversation they needed to have while on the plane, but Callie had immediately shot her down, stating they needed to have a _real_ conversation, not one that was guarded and restrained due to the confinement of the plane.

"You ready to talk now?" Arizona cautiously asked.

Callie only stood, staring out the full wall of windows in the living room to watch the sun sink down through the clouds and into the ocean.

Arizona glanced over her shoulder to where her wife's eyes remained focused on two perfectly placed palm trees that framed the setting sun before looking back to find Callie making her way toward the French doors that led to the bedroom.

"I know it's early, but I'm exhausted, Arizona. I really just want to go to bed," Callie spoke as she sat down at the foot of the lavish king size bed, her eyes finally glancing back up to see her wife now standing in front of her.

"We really need to talk, Callie," Arizona softly beseeched, though Callie only shook her head.

"Not tonight, Arizona, but tomorrow. I promise we'll talk tomorrow morning," she avowed, her eyes pleading with Arizona to please not fight her on this. "Okay?"

With a hard swallow of the naggingly persistent lump that had taken up residence in her throat, Arizona begrudgingly relented.

Taking a chance, though, she leaned forward to press a quick, but loving kiss against the plump lips she wanted to spend the rest of her life cherishing. "Yeah. Sure. Get some sleep. We'll talk tomorrow."

* * *

><p>The following morning, Arizona sat in a chair on their private lanai, a real colored tank top and a pair of lightly woven cotton pajama shorts covering her body as she per used the opinion section of the USA Today.<p>

She hadn't even bothered to don her prosthesis after waking an hour before; her ability to move about on one leg as she cruised around the furniture for support was completely second nature after twenty-three years.

She had allowed Callie the time she'd requested the night before, only crawling into the opposite side of the luxurious pillow-top mattress nearly four hours after her wife had gone to bed. Arizona was aware she had been miserable for the past two weeks, and with good reason, but the actions she had taken and the things she'd done had clearly hurt Callie way more than anticipated.

Now, though. . .she was ready to fix it. She was completely dedicated to talking with her wife and allowing her to share in her feelings.

The sound of familiar footfalls behind her soon caught Arizona's attention and, dragging her eyes away from the typed words of the newspaper, she smiled when she saw Callie crossing the living room to join her on the porch.

With a groan, long tanned arms reached above her messy mop of brunette hair to stretch out still sleepy muscles before she less than gracefully plopped her body down into an empty chair.

"Morning," Arizona greeted, setting the paper down long enough to lift a carafe from the middle of the small table that sat between them. "Coffee?" she asked, holding up a tropically colored jacquard print mug.

Callie nodded in response before wiping the sleep from her right eye with the tips of her fingers. "Thanks," she whispered as she watched her wife add the perfect amount of cream to her cup.

"Welcome," Arizona replied, handing over the steaming beverage.

Accepting the proffered drink, Callie turned in her seat to face forward, the sound of the ocean waves crashing against the sand, creating a melodic rhythm with calling seagulls and speed boats zooming off into the distance.

After several long moments, Callie dragged her eyes away from the water, allowing herself a quiet moment to admire Arizona's profile; her face was illuminated by the morning sun, yet still pale in tone and perfectly framed by wavy blonde curls that fell just above her shoulders, exactly the length Callie liked it best.

"I know you're struggling," Callie soon stated, her voice barely audible over the sounds rising up from the beach.

Pulled from her silent reflection upon hearing that hushed voice, Arizona turned to face her wife, her mouth opening to respond, though Callie continued before she had the opportunity to speak.

"And I know this is hard, but I feel like it's more than that. I feel like I'm losing you, Arizona. You. . .you've just completely shut me out. It feels like you're just fading away, and I can't watch that happen. Not again. I just can't," she honestly spoke, tears instantly beginning to sting her eyes. "And I can't help but wonder if. . .maybe I'm not enough. That without the kids, maybe I'll never be enough to make you happy."

Arizona shook her head and, reaching out to hold Callie's left hand, her thumb anxiously fidgeted with the band of white gold and diamonds that encircled her ring finger. "That's not true, Calliope. Without you, I could _never_ be happy," she earnestly replied, her voice dripping with complete honesty and boundless love. "And, I'm sorry. I just. . .I have no idea what to do with myself. I've never felt like this before."

Skeptically regarding her wife, a lone tear streaked down Callie cheek, though she couldn't repress the slight smile that began to tug at the corners of her lips. "I've never felt like this before, either," she then admitted before blowing out an exaggerated puff of air. "I've never felt like I was losing so much, my kids _and_ my wife all at the same time."

Arizona's eyes brimmed with tears; she couldn't remember the last time she'd seen her wife look so thoroughly dejected. "You're not losing me, Calliope. Never," she whispered before leaning down to press a gentle kiss against the back of Callie's hand. "I've just been so caught up in my own misery that I totally shut down, and I'm sorry for that. I'm sorry I reverted back to my old habits, but I. . .I just miss him. _So_ much."

Taking a moment to scoot her chair closer to her wife, Callie then reached out, taking two trembling alabaster hands into her own. "It's only been two weeks, sweetie. And, I know it's bad right now but, I promise you, it will get better," she tried to reassure. "I want so much for us, Arizona. So much more than what's happening right now. And. . . .I know you need time to grieve, to work through the loss, and rebuild your life, but you have got to talk to me. I'm trying so hard to be gentle and understanding, but you're making that very difficult by shutting me out."

Callie paused, wanting to make sure everything she was saying was really sinking in. "And, I know it's a big adjustment. I get that and, feeling sad and crying a little bit is totally normal, but this. . ._this_ has become a huge problem, Arizona. Your feelings are standing in the way of your ability to continue living your life, and I know you're going to regret it for the rest of your life if you continue to refuse to take part in this special time in Sofia's life."

Arizona's eyes widened with sudden insight; she had in no way realized she was not only shutting out Callie but, Sofia, as well. Sofia and Olivia both were _her_ girls, but she certainly couldn't deny the relentlessly unbreakable bond she and her eldest daughter shared. And, the fact that she had chosen to deny Sofia when she only wanted her to be present and to share in the happiness she was feeling while preparing for her big day, suddenly tore at her heart.

"Oh, God. I'm _so_ sorry. I-I-I promised you a long time ago that I wouldn't shut you out, but I did. Again. And, not just you but, Sofia, as well," Arizona stated as if some sort of awakening had just occurred. "I thought I was prepared for this, but for some reason it's all just been too much. I never thought it would be _this_ hard."

Callie ran the thumbs over the backs of Arizona's knuckles, resolutely determined to help her wife in whatever way she could. "I know it's a _huge_ change, but this. . ._this_ is our life now, sweetie. You and me. Alone. Together," she stated, desperately needing to get all her thoughts and feelings out into the open. "The kids may be gone from the house, but they'll never be gone from our hearts. We'll still see them and talk to them. Sam still texts us at least once a day, and we Skype or FaceTime with Olivia and Sofia all the time," she tried to deliberate. "And, I can't. . .I don't want us to be those people who've been parents for so long that we no longer know how to be a couple. I don't want us to fall apart. I want us to be comfortable in our new life. I want us to be okay with being alone together, to reconnect, and to rebuild anything that we may have unintentionally neglected."

Arizona adamantly nodded her head, in complete agreement with everything her wife had just said. "I want that, too. I _really_ do," she stated, her eyes still glazed with the culmination of the thousand realizations she'd just conceived. "I want us to travel and to be together. To ride a gondola in Venice or drink Sangria in Spain. Maybe I'll write a book, or we could learn to speak Chinese. Hell, I'd be happy to just go crazy and get drunk and sing and dance in our underwear in the middle of our living room," she nearly shouted, her exclamation causing Callie to jump back in surprise. "It just might take me a little more time than you, but I'm trying, Calliope. I want to be right there with you for this next chapter of our lives, but I'm going to need your help. So please, _please_ don't give up on me."

Brushing windblown hair back from her wife's brow, Callie gently held Arizona's face between her palms as she gazed into the depths of her gorgeous cerulean eyes. "Never, Arizona. I love you too much to _ever_ give up."

* * *

><p>Nervously staring at herself in the bathroom mirror, Arizona aimlessly ran her hands over the charcoal colored fabric of the layered chiffon and lace gown she'd chosen for the evening, her hands then moving upward to straighten the open heart pendant that always dangled from the gold chain around her neck.<p>

She and Callie had spent most of the day in quiet reflection, the tiniest sliver of uncertain timidity still hanging in the air. Despite that, however, they had spent a wonderful day together, lounging on the beach and walking a beautiful trail around the grounds of the resort as they discussed their kids and the hospital, the conference reception, awards dinner, and masquerade themed welcome party they would be attending later that evening.

Arizona smiled as she thought about the day, shaking her head as she recalled the text messages, FaceTime and Skype calls they had received while relaxing with their feet in the sand.

_You called last night to tell me you landed, but Sofia and Olivia are both blowing up my phone. What's going on? Are you two okay? _

Their phones had sounded at the exact same time, both women searching through their beach bag for the individual devices to find a group text message from their son and, as soon as they both had assured him they were indeed safe and well, the pulsing ring of a Skype request blared from Arizona's phone as a FaceTime call trumpeted from Callie's.

They had then spent nearly a half hour talking with their daughters, Arizona to Olivia and Callie to Sofia before the two older women held their phones so all four of them could chat together. Few words had been exchanged between Arizona and Sofia, however, the tension remaining between them undeniably palpable and something that certainly needed to be remedied as soon as possible.

"Arizona?" Callie softly called into the bathroom, the sound of her voice, quickly tugging Arizona from her silent musings. "You almost ready?"

With a final glance into the mirror, Arizona reached up to makes sure both of her earrings were secure before turning to exit the bathroom. With a cleansing breath, she pushed open the door, stepping from within to find Callie scrutinizing herself in the mirror above the chest of drawers.

Arizona wistfully smiled at the sight of her wife; they had been married for twenty-five years, but she swore she'd never seen her wife look quite as beautiful as she did right then and, taking a moment to stare, she lovingly admired the other woman's stately, floor-sweeping gown, it's two-toned latte colored lace defined at the waist by a crisp grosgrain ribbon.

After watching Callie tuck a strand of straightened brunette hair behind her ear, Arizona stepped up behind her, placing her hands on curvaceous hips.

Magical brown eyes flicked upward to meet proud cerulean ones in the mirror and, as Callie smiled her signature megawatt smile, an equally as intoxicating dimpled grin greeted her. Turning around, Callie's eyes first landed on her wife's face, shoulder length blonde hair laying in gentle curls and swept up on one side. Allowing her gaze to move downward to the swirling lace cap-sleeve bodice of an elegant evening gown, they then continued their southward journey to take in an intriguing skirt that gently rippled into asymmetrically floating layers of gauzy chiffon to an ankle-grazing finish.

Finally dragging her eyes back to meet her wife's smiling face, Callie then leaned forward to peck at pink lips, careful not to smudge Arizona's make-up. "You look beautiful," Callie stated with her own smile and a seductive wink.

Arizona's eyes flirtatiously narrowed as she playfully popped her left shoulder up and down, feeling more alive and more like herself than she had in weeks. "Thank you, Calliope," she replied before wagging her eyebrows up and down. "You don't look so bad yourself, hot stuff."

Callie couldn't help but laugh at her wife's playful antics, her heart swelling at the sight. She had somewhat convinced herself she may never see this side of Arizona again and, the fact that she seemed to now be recovering, filled Callie with an overwhelming sense of relief and boundless joy.

"You ready to go?" Callie asked as she reached out for her wife's hand. "Because I've been looking forward to showing you off to all these old ortho guys since we found out we won."

Arizona smiled at her wife's sentiment and, leaning over to press her lips against her wife's sun kissed cheek, she grasped Callie's proffered hand. "More than ready," she husked into Callie's ear as she grabbed the masquerade masks specially made to match their gowns. "Let's do this thing.

* * *

><p>". . .and she is the person who really needs thanks. I may be the one standing here, accepting this award, but this recognition from the The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons comes at the cost of not just my work, but the work and <em>genius<em> of my Pediatric Surgeon wife, as well."

Callie paused in her acceptance speech of the Winston-Lanier Award for Research Excellence, her heart pounding and her stomach flip-flopping; her fear of public speaking only minimally decreased even after all these years. She had so hoped Arizona could accept the award on their behalf, but since the regulations stated the research had to have an orthopedic surgeon as its lead researcher, here she stood.

With a sweep of her eyes over the ballroom filled with the best of the best ortho docs in the country, Callie finally settled in on the glistening blue eyes of her beaming wife. As a smile tugged at the corners of both their lips, Callie cleared her throat, more than ready to finish this speech and get her ass off the stage.

"I was just a single cog in a finely tuned machine; a cog that happened to win this award but, again, I think that's more a side effect of my partner in this research, who just so happens to also be my partner in life."

Arizona's smile grew wider upon hearing Callie's words and, with a wink of encouragement, she straightened her posture as she awaited the remainder of her wife's speech.

"Being able to work with my wife on such a successful endeavor is the realization of a huge life dream, and I am truly and honestly thrilled to be here tonight with this award in my hand. Because, you all have not only given me the chance to live my passion, but to share in an amazing success with my wife at my side, and for that, I thank you all sincerely from the bottom of my heart."

Callie smiled brightly when the room filled with applause and, stepping back from the podium with the award she now shared with her wife held tightly in her hand, she then made her way off the stage and back into her seat to Arizona's left.

They sat for only a few more minutes as the closing remarks were made and, once the ceremony finally came to an end, Callie breathed a visible sigh of relief as she stood, extremely glad this part of the evening was finally over. After that bout of public speaking, she definitely could use a drink. A big one.

Slipping a gorgeous Venetian mask over her eyes, Arizona smiled at her wife who had already become inundated with congratulatory remarks and handshakes from her colleagues and, leaning close, she softly whispered into her ear. "I'm going to leave you to the masses. Want something to drink?"

A feather adorning Arizona's mask lightly tickled Callie's ear and, excusing herself for just a moment, she turned to face her wife. "Well, hello there," she teased the masked stranger. "I would love a drink but, unfortunately for you, I'm here with my wife."

"It's only a drink," Arizona slyly contended.

Callie pretended to ponder the offer, her index finger tapping against her lips in consideration. "I'll take a glass of red," she finally replied, squeezing Arizona's hand before watching the love of her life disappear through the crowd toward the bar.

Once at the bar, Arizona took some time to scan the room; apparently some of these doctors were too uptight to attend the party, the area beginning to clear, leaving a much smaller group. Leaning one elbow against the wooden bar top, she then proudly admired her wife as a group of five males and only one female engaged her in some topic of conversation.

It was nice to see Callie so happy and so full of life and, thanking the bartender when he handed her one glass of red and one glass of white, she started back toward her wife, stopping mid-stride when she saw the hand of one of the male doctors travel _way _too far down Callie's back as he held her in a celebratory embrace.

With blue eyes narrowing in mistrust, she watched as the dark haired man then held her wife at arm's length, his giant palms running up and down the material covering Callie's upper arms. Arizona had caught this guy leering at her wife throughout the entire banquet and, just when she was about to ask Callie who he might be, the award ceremony had begun, halting her question.

Now, though, with the latest development of this _douchebag's_ skeezy hands roaming all over her wife's body like it belonged to him, she sat the glasses of wine on an empty table long enough to remove the mask from her face before starting back across the floor, fully intent on finding out just who the hell this jackass thought he was.


	9. Chapter 9

**Title**: Perfectly Imperfect

**Author**: HandsThatHeal

**Pairing**: Callie/Arizona

**Rating**: M/NC-17

**Summary**: Big changes bring big upheaval as Callie and Arizona find themselves alone for the first time in years. Will they be able to happily adapt to this new life without their children under their roof or will they now find that they have nothing in common in the absence of the ties that bound them together for so many years? Sequel to _Clarity_.

**Disclaimer**: All television shows, books, movies, songs, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work and the characters, events, and settings thereof are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context and are not intended to be libelous, defamatory, or in any way factual.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter Nine<strong>_

* * *

><p>"Arizona! Sweetie. Come here," Callie exclaimed when she saw Arizona walking across the ballroom, one hand excitedly waving for her wife to join her.<p>

Tensing her jaw, Arizona stepped up to her wife's side and, handing her the glass of Pinot Noir, she purposefully snaked her arm around Callie's waist, drawing her close.

"Honey, this is Dr. Rick Watson," Callie happily introduced. "We went to med school together. And, Rick. This is my wife, Dr. Arizona Robbins," she continued, her every feature beaming with pride.

Taking a deliberate gulp from her glass of Chardonnay, Arizona watched as _Rick_ forced himself to remove his eyes from her wife's admittedly glorious breasts only long enough to give her the faintest of nods. "It's nice to meet you, _Rick_," she stated, her fingertips digging into Callie's hip in an attempt to keep herself from finding a brick.

"Yeah. You, too," Rick offhandedly replied, his attention still solely remaining on Callie and all her two thousand parts. "So, Cal, a few of us are gonna blow off the seminar tomorrow. We're going to rent a boat for the day. You game?"

With her eyes widening, Arizona turned her head to questioningly regard her wife and, seeing Callie's brow furrow in what she thought was consideration of this scumbag's request, she silently awaited her response.

"Oh, no. Not me," Callie immediately replied. "Arizona and I are presenting all day tomorrow."

"Ah, you're no fun," the man scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Since when does Callie Torres give up the chance to play hooky?"

Callie laughed at his statement before anxiously taking a sip of wine.

"I mean, remember that time during our freshman year when we skipped all of our Friday courses, stole your dad's boat, and. . ."

"We didn't steal it," Callie was quick to reply, a nervous chuckle bubbling up from her throat. "We _borrowed_ it."

"Yeah, _AND _all his tequila," Rick added with a smirk. "Damn, that was a great weekend," he continued, his bottom lip now held tightly between his teeth as his disgusting brown eyes once again landed on Callie's boobs.

Arizona's fingers once again dug into Callie's hip as the blonde drained the remainder of her wine, doing anything and everything she possibly could in a desperate attempt to keep herself from lunging at this ape and clawing his eyes out.

"Ooo-kay," Callie drawled out, feeling the tense form at her side begin to step forward. "Arizona and I are just going to go. It was good to see you, Rick," she stated, turning to distance herself from this increasingly uncomfortable conversation.

When she realized Arizona was no longer at her side, Callie spun back around to find her wife engaging an obtuse looking Rick in an epic staring contest, a legendary battle of wills and, stepping up behind her, she gently placed her palms at the sides of rigid shoulders. "Come on, honey. Let's go."

Still threateningly squinting at Dr. Douchebag, Arizona didn't immediately move but, finally relenting, she slowly backed away before turning to join her wife.

* * *

><p><em><strong>(Flashback: 15 Years Ago)<strong>_

_Following Callie through the front door, Arizona adjusted a sleeping three-year-old Sam on her hip as they both made their way to the stairs. "Change into your pajamas and then brush your teeth," Arizona softly instructed Sofia as they began to ascend the stairs._

_"Okay, momma," Sofia replied, happily making her way into her room. _

_With Olivia sprawled in her arms, a feather laden head resting on her shoulder, Callie smiled as she watched Sofia disappear into her room; they had just spent the past four hours at the Grey+Sloan Memorial Annual Halloween Fundraising Gala, and she was currently feeling a little smug at just how perfectly adorable her family's costumes really were. This year, Sofia and Olivia had picked their family's theme; the girls unanimously deciding that they wanted to go as characters from Sam's current favorite movie. . .Peter Pan._

_Their little brother's costume was simple; while most boys his age were obsessed with Peter Pan, the Lost Boys, or even Captain Hook, Sam had an unnatural obsession for the Tick Tock Croc, and after a quick online search, Arizona had purchased the cutest freaking crocodile costume she had ever seen. _

_Next came the girls, ten year old Sofia quickly choosing to be Tinker Bell after her five year old sister had insisted upon going as Tiger Lily 'cuz we have the same hair'. Arizona was more than a little excited when the girls assigned her to be Peter Pan, though Callie had been less than pleased when Olivia asked her to be Captain Hook. . .'cuz you have the same hair'. And though Callie had reluctantly agreed, she did decide to change things up, choosing a costume with the same color scheme as Captain Hook, but one that Arizona had privately deemed 'a dirty, but HOT pirate wench' that was 'certainly not suitable for young eyes'." They had eventually compromised, however, a few minor alterations, and Callie's costume was Gala appropriate with the option to become naughtier when Arizona chose, and for her eyes only._

_And right now, Callie really hoped that Arizona's eyes were ready. Everyone thought the blonde had been so amazingly adorable as Peter Pan, but in those damn green leggings and short tunic that was made even shorter by a wide leather belt around her waist and her legs disappearing into elf like shoes, Arizona was so much more. She was beautiful. Stunning. Confident. And just so, so sexy. _

_So, after carefully divesting both Sam and Olivia of as much of their costumes as possible in their sleeping state and replacing them with their pajamas, Arizona made her way to tuck Sofia into bed while Callie hastily escaped to their bedroom. _

* * *

><p>Sitting on the edge of the bed, Arizona quietly removed her heels, tossing them to the side as Callie did the same. They had spent two more hours at the masquerade party, both women receiving congratulations and praise for their research success while Arizona diligently made a point to keep her wife as far away from Dr. Rick Watson as she possibly could.<p>

God, what a schmuck!

"Have fun tonight?" Callie asked, removing her earrings and placing them on the nightstand before plopping down next to her wife.

Arizona gave a tight nod, her hands reaching behind her in an attempt to lower the zipper at the back of her dress. "Yeah. It was nice."

Considering the shortness of her wife's tone, Callie momentarily watched Arizona struggle with the hook and eye at the top of her gown before kneeling on the bed behind her to help unfasten the clasp. With the zipper now held between the pad of her thumb and the side of her index finger, she slowly lowered it, leaning forward to bless every inch of exposed ivory skin with the faintest of moist kisses.

Arizona shivered at the sensation only Callie's lips could make stir deep inside her but, with a heavy sigh, she slowly stood from the bed before turning around the face her still kneeling wife. "Did you sleep with that Rick guy? I mean, has he seen you naked?"

Surprised not only by her wife's hasty exit from the bed but, also by her line of questions, Callie's face scowled in confusion. "What?" she exclaimed as Arizona began to pace in front of her. "Like during the reception? While I was accepting our award? Of course not, Arizona. I can't even believe you just asked me that."

Arizona shook her head, coming to a stop directly in front of her wife. "No, not tonight," she clarified, the frustration she was feeling evident in her tone. "But before? In med school. Did you sleep with him?"

Watching as her wife's eyes began to brim with tears, Callie sat back on her heels in the center of the mattress as she began to speak. "Not that it really matters _thirty-five years later_, but no. . .I did _not_ sleep with Rick," she honestly answered and, seeing Arizona blow out a relieved breath, she reached up to scratch the side of her own head. "What's going on here, Arizona? What aren't you telling me?"

Worrying her bottom lip between her teeth, Arizona reached forward, her fingers nervously playing with the ends of silky brunette hair. "Wh-what if you want something different?"

"What?" Callie anxiously questioned.

"What if tomorrow morning, you wake up and realize you really would rather skip the day at this conference with me so you can go off somewhere else. Somewhere more fun. Somewhere. . ."

"Arizona. That's not going to happen."

"But, what if it does?" she anxiously asked, trembling fingers reaching forward to absentmindedly trace the neckline of Callie's dress. "I-I-I've been a mess. I'm like crying all the time. I've been avoiding you, and what if you decide that I'm just not worth it? That I'm not fun, anymore? I mean, I know that now that the kids are gone, you want to go off and do all the things you weren't able to do before. So, what if. . .what if you decide that you want to do them. . .without me? What if you wake up one morning and realize you'd rather be with someone more fun and exciting like. . ._Rick_?"

Holding her wife's tearful gaze, Callie shook her head as she reached forward to take smaller hands into her own. "I'm not sure you've listened to a single word I've said today," she softly whispered with a rueful shake of her head before giving pale hands a tight squeeze. "Yes, Arizona. I want to be able to experience new things. I want to go places I've never been, eat food I've never eaten, buy things I've never bought. . .but honey, I only want to do those things because of you. You are fun. You are exciting. You are everything I've ever dreamed of, and I only want to turn the page into the next chapter of my life if you are right there with me," she earnestly stated, her heavy heart feeling a bit of levity when she saw a glimmer of a relieved smile pull at beautiful pink lips. "I meant what I said earlier, Arizona. Being with you, working with you. . .it's my dream, sweetie. I don't ever want to be with anyone else. _I_ am _yours_."

Finding nothing but honesty, love, and devotion in those chocolate pools she loved so much, Arizona felt something deep within her click and, completely unable to stop herself, she hastily crashed her lips against the unsuspecting ones of her wife. Insistent ivory hands then made quick work of the zipper at the back of Callie's gown and, hurriedly dragging the sleeves down beautifully tanned arms, she pushed against her wife, the weight of her own body against Callie's causing the kneeling woman to tumble backward onto the bed.

With her head spinning from the lack of oxygen Arizona's kisses were causing and the adrenaline and lust that now coursed through her entire body at the sensation of her wife's hands literally ripping off her clothes, Callie brusquely turned her head to the side, their lips coming apart with a loud smack. "Arizona. .wha. . ." she breathlessly panted before swallowing hard. "What. . ."

"You. Are. Mine."

* * *

><p><em>"Tonight, you're mine, Peter Pan," Callie growled as Arizona entered their bedroom after tucking Sofia into bed. She had made a quick costume change after settling Olivia into her bed; she now wore her own version of a Captain Hook costume that her wife had deemed too sexy for a public viewing. <em>

_Arizona jumped when Callie grabbed her, and spinning around, her mouth went dry as she took in the sight of her wife standing in the middle of their bedroom. _

_Gone were the black pants she had been wearing for most of the night; they were now replaced by a short, SHORT flared mini dress, the rest of her form barely covered by an attached black velvet bustier with two rows of scarlet satin laces and bows, a red off-the-shoulder peasant top with billowing sleeves doing little to cover her voluptuous breasts. As Arizona's eyes continued further down Callie's body, she swallowed hard upon seeing a pair of tall black leather boots that started at the bottoms of her wife's feet before traveling up long, shapely calves to end just above her knees. _

_Callie smirked at her wife's gaping mouth and the lusty look in her darkened blue eyes, and without a word, she gently removed the feathered hat from Arizona's head before tossing her own black velvet pirate hat across the room. _

_In that moment, no further words were spoken, the Latina hastily tugging at the brown leather belt around Arizona's waist before pushing her down to sit on the edge of the bed. They had perfected the art of quickly being able to remove each other's clothing in preparation of their favorite act, a skill that had become necessary while attempting to maintain a love life with three small children living under their roof. It wasn't always ideal; sometimes it would have been really nice to be able to take their time and be completely uninhibited in their lovemaking, but in their minds, rushed and hushed was definitely better than nothing at all. _

* * *

><p>With their mouths fully coming together in a passionate tryst of moist lips and insistent tongues, Arizona's previously overly eager movements suddenly slowed, her hazy sex-filled mind realizing for the first time since she'd thrown Callie down onto their hotel bed that this would be the first time in a very long time that they had made love without at least one of their kid's sleeping down the hall.<p>

"Wh-what's wrong?" Callie stammered as she felt Arizona's ministrations grind to a halt.

Shaking her head in response, Arizona smirked as she painstakingly pulled Callie's dress from where it was bunched at her hips, revealing to her hungry eyes inch by glorious inch of caramel skin already darkened by their day spent in the sun. Arizona then quietly stood and, seductively sliding the top of her dress down her arms, she made a show of allowing it to fall off her body, landing in a charcoal pool at her feet.

Scooting up the bed to prop her head up on the pillows, Callie met her wife's stare, the mixture of lust, love, and undying commitment she recognized in those cerulean eyes, taking her breath away.

"God, you're beautiful," Arizona whispered, stepping out of her dress before moving to stretch out her own body on the mattress.

Rolling onto her side, Callie pressed her front against that of her wife, her arm snaking around Arizona's body to slowly trail up and down her wife's spine, the pads of her fingertips gently circling each and every bony protuberance they found. "You're breathtaking, Arizona," she whispered, chocolate eyes locking with stormy blue as she watched every emotion her wife was feeling swirl around in their cerulean depths.

Breaking their gaze, Arizona's lips came in contact with Callie's heated skin to lay feather light kisses across the prominence of her clavicle, her left hand taking a downward journey over her wife's lace satin covered hip to the bend in her knee, and then back up again. "I love you so much," she whispered against the hollow of Callie's throat before kissing her way up her chin to once again capture plump lips.

"I love you," Callie softly replied when Arizona's mouth allowed her own just a moment's reprieve. "So, so much," she managed to get out before moist pink lips were once again covering her own.

As the kiss intensified, electricity surged through both of their bodies, their want and need increasing with every kiss and every touch. Callie so desperately wanted to roll her wife over and show her just how much she loved her but, cognizant of the fact that, for the past couple weeks, Arizona had been feeling like she had absolutely no control over anything, she would grant her this.

Because really, what was so terrible about being controlled by an obviously aroused Arizona Robbins?

* * *

><p><em>"L-leave the boots," Arizona husked, Callie's sexy black boots now the only thing covering either of their bodies. "I want you to wear them while I rock your world."<em>

_"You're awfully demanding for a prisoner, Peter Pan," Callie teased, crawling up the bed to hover over her completely naked wife. "And trust me, tonight I will the one doing the world rocking."_

_With her wife's words barely registering in her brain, Arizona grasped both of Callie's hips in her hands and, forcing them downward against her own, her eyes fell shut as she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth at the surge of pleasure the simple joining of their heated centers could invoke. "N-no more talking, Calliope," she stammered, as she began to buck her hips against her wife. "And no more calling me Peter Pan. Just sex. Lots and lots of sex." _

_Refusing to allow her wife the control she was obviously seeking, Callie quickly rolled them over and, sitting up beneath the smaller woman, she expertly entangled their legs, Arizona's right leg now beneath Callie's outstretch left one as her residual limb rested atop the silky smooth skin of a tanned right thigh. _

_Provocatively grinning at her wife, Callie then trailed her hand downward to disappear between their heated bodies, her fingers lightly grazing across her lover's eager clit before moving both hands around to grasp at her hips and, completely unable to control the lust and arousal that had been building inside her since the moment she'd seen Arizona step out of their bedroom wearing her costume earlier that evening, she instantly smashed her mouth against moist pink lips, roughly forcing her own center against Arizona's throbbing core with one insistent tug. _

* * *

><p>"I was so proud of you, tonight," Arizona whispered into Callie's ear, her lips then blazing a trail down her wife's chest, between perfectly rounded breasts and, then crossing her arms over Callie's abdomen, she rested her chin on the back of her hand as she stared up into lidded brown eyes. "And you looked so damn hot in that masquerade mask. So mysterious. So sexy."<p>

Callie chuckled softly at her wife's words, a reverent hand reaching down to tuck messy blonde hair behind her ear. "I adore you, Arizona. Everything about you," she honestly spoke, her voice a hoarse whisper.

Arizona smiled at the sound of Callie's laughter, and moving further down her body, she left a trail of hot kisses from her belly button to her right hip and then back again. "I can't get enough of you, Calliope. Your skin tastes amazing," she husked, dipping her tongue into her wife's navel.

Callie grasped at the sheets as Arizona continued to worship every single millimeter of her skin, the silent homage her wife was paying to her body creating a dichotomy of sensations; she desperately wanted to experience the pleasure of the explosive release she knew Arizona's mouth could certainly bring but, at the same time, she never wanted this to end.

Moving even further south, Arizona once again paused and, resting her chin on Callie's pubic bone, she stared up at her wife, darkened blue eyes locking with the now obsidian orbs that were intently watching her every move. Pleased with the wanton arousal written across her wife's every feature, Arizona again moved downward, briefly dipping her tongue to lightly graze a throbbing bundle of nerves.

At the first swipe of her sex, Callie immediately dug her heels into the mattress, arching her back as Arizona flicked her tongue, once, twice, three times against her pulsating clitoris before finally driving her tongue deeper into her wetness.

"Mmm, Arizona," Callie moaned, biting her bottom lip as she felt her wife press her legs further apart, never once stopping the work of her talented tongue.

Reaching upward, Arizona removed Callie's hand from its relentless hold on the sheets, the fingers of her left hand tangling with those of Callie's right as she moaned against Callie's core.

* * *

><p><em>"Oh, God," Arizona groaned as she stared into lust filled chocolate eyes. "More, baby."<em>

_Tangling her hands into messy sweat dampened blonde hair, Callie vigorously rolled her hips as they rocked against each other to a rhythm they had perfected years before and, throwing her head back in ecstasy at the luscious friction created by the intimate meeting of clit against clit, aroused nipples against aroused nipples, Callie leaned forward, biting into the soft skin of Arizona's shoulder to keep herself from crying out._

_Leaning backward onto an outstretched palm, Arizona held onto Callie's black leather boot covered shin as she continued to slam her hips into her wife and, running her free hand down the curvy body in front of her, one assertive hand fumbled with a bouncing breast, causing a dark nipple, already hardened with arousal, to painfully stiffen against her palm. _

_Grasping slim hips, Callie pulled Arizona's engorged center impossibly closer to her own, gasping loudly when she felt her wife's hot essence coat her lower abdomen and pubic bone. _

_"Harder, Callie!" Arizona demanded, her eyes beginning to roll into the back of her head when her wife obeyed her command. "Oh, fuck! Yes!" she screamed, completely unable to help herself._

_"Quiet, Arizona. You have to be quiet, or you'll. . ."_

_Arizona cut Callie off by smashing her own bruised lips into those of her wife, furiously grinding against her as Callie once again met her rhythm, further igniting the heat she felt in the pit of her stomach as it began to spiral out of control._

* * *

><p>Soft moans and anxious short breaths were all that came from Callie's mouth as Arizona licked lightly from the bottom of her opening all the way up to the tip of her clit before slowly and deliberately forcing her tongue in and out of her quivering opening but, when Arizona bit at a sensitive bundle of nerves, sparks of pleasure and pain surged throughout Callie's entire body, causing her to uninhibitedly cry out. "Jesus, Arizona! Fuck!"<p>

Backing off just when she knew Callie needed her to press on, Arizona once again switched the rhythm of her ministrations, her tongue now barely ghosting over Callie's heated flesh with the slightest of touches. Hearing a whimper leave her wife's lips, Arizona glanced up her writhing body from her own prone position between long muscular legs and, noting the flush rapidly changing the color of her wife's breasts, neck, and face, she grinned at the infallible sign that Callie was certainly enjoying the attention she was receiving.

Callie could feel Arizona's gaze upon her and, forcing her eyes open, she watched as two fingers slipped into her wife's mouth to deliberately lap at them with her tongue. "Please. Baby, please," Callie pleaded. Arizona's insistence on taking things slow felt amazing but, right now, her patience was about to snap.

Hearing her wife beg, Arizona finally removed her fingers from her own mouth before plunging them deep inside her entrance. Her motions began slowly but, soon became faster and more urgent as she pushed deeper into Callie's slick opening, her mouth once again toying with a prominent clit; circling it, lapping at it, then suckling it, before repeating the whole cycle over and over, again and again.

Callie panted and squirmed in pure bliss, her eyes rolling back in her head when Arizona curled her fingers to stimulate that elusive spot deep inside her. "Yes. Arizona, yes! Don't stop. Right there," she loudly demanded, continuing to hold Arizona's left hand captive as she squeezed it in an attempt to keep herself tethered to the earth.

"Does that feel good, baby?" Arizona muttered against the engorged flesh of her wife's center.

"Yes! God, yes!" Callie breathlessly answered as Arizona relentlessly ran her tongue along glistening folds, two talented fingers soon becoming three as they continued their agonizing work. "Mmmm, yes! Arizona," Callie shouted, her hips writhing uncontrollably.

* * *

><p><em>Arizona continued to rock against her wife's throbbing center as Callie roughly squeezed her right breast with one hand, the other hand soon disappearing between them as a long middle finger gently dragged along dripping folds, a deft thumb forcefully pressing against a throbbing clit as she continued to press her own hips forward, seeking the erotic friction she'd been craving all night. <em>

_As she moved her fingers and her thumb, Callie watched as Arizona's brow furrowed, her eyes heavy with lust and desire, her mouth hanging open. She could tell that Arizona wanted - needed - to scream, to cry out in pleasure and in encouragement but, not wanting to wake their sleeping children, the words died on Arizona's lips, incoherent and hushed guttural moans all that escaped her as Callie continued to fondle her pulsing nub, two fingers quickening their pace as she rubbed it in deliberate circles. _

"_So close," Arizona murmured, her hips jerking and lifting uncontrollably. "Please, Callie! Please-" _

_But, before she could finish her request, Arizona's eyes slammed shut, her mouth falling agape in a silent scream of ecstasy before she bit down on her own bottom lip as her entire body went momentarily rigid before every muscle in her body began to shudder violently, unrelenting spasms quaking through her core. _

* * *

><p>Callie panted harshly as beads of sweat collected on her forehead and, as her climax began, she grabbed the hair at the back of Arizona's head with her free hand, forcing her face further into her aching center. With the added pressure, her eyes crashed shut, her hips thrusting forward to hold her wife's head between the palm of her hand and the mound of her aching center.<p>

"God, Arizona!" she shouted. "I'm gonna. . .oh fuck!" she cried out in a blinding, pulsing moment of release as an orgasm ripped through her entire body, leaving her drenched core pulsing uncontrollably, every muscle in her body twitching and spasming as she came hard, her body convulsing with pleasure as her essence flowed freely over Arizona's fingers and into her mouth. "Arizona!" she screamed again in uninhibited satisfaction as another orgasmic surge assaulted her core.

Callie's right hand clutched Arizona's left as pure unadulterated pleasure that she hadn't experienced quite so profoundly in way too long stringently spread from her middle to extend out the length of her extremities. "Oh. . .oh my God," Callie panted, desperately trying to fill her lungs with much needed air.

Never tiring of the way Callie's center throbbed against her tongue, Arizona continued to lap at the excessively hot wetness that poured from her wife's entrance, soon switching the ministrations of her tongue to avoid direct contact with her now sensitive bud.

A loud, sharp gasp of pure bliss mixed with pleasured pain soon rushed from Callie's mouth and, finally relenting, Arizona completely moved her attention from overly heated and highly sensitive flesh to place gentle kisses along the insides of caramel thighs before moving back to place one final kiss against her still erect clit. Then moving up the bed to lie next to her wife, Arizona rolled onto her side to face her, gently caressing Callie's thighs and abdomen with one hand as the other worked its way between the mattress and her wife's naked back to hold her close.

Whispering hushed promises and I love yous into Callie's ear, Arizona lovingly coaxed her down from her orgasmic high and, when brown eyes finally opened to gaze into darkened blue, Arizona kissed her wife's temple, brushing her lips gently along her jawline before nipping at the sensitive skin below her earlobe. "I love you," she then murmured against moist lips before running her tongue around their edge.

Capturing Arizona's mouth with her own, Callie sucked on her bottom lip, savoring the spicy sweetness of her own arousal that lingered on her wife's mouth before pulling back to release that swollen lip with a loud pop. "That was really hot," she sensually commented, her voice hoarse from the erotic screams and shouted expletives that had left her mouth, her seemingly boneless arms then falling to her sides in a haze of post-coital bliss.

Arizona chuckled at her wife, more than a little proud of the fact that she had just successfully reduced this usually strong and put together woman to a completely exhausted pool of happily sated goo. "If you thought that was hot, then you're _really_ going to like the surprise I have planned for you," she whispered, nuzzling her nose against a caramel cheek, her hand gently travelling up and down the length of her wife's arm.

Callie lay motionless on the bed for several long moments, her eyes once again falling shut. "What surprise?" she finally asked, her lips the only thing moving on her thoroughly satisfied form.

Running her fingertips along Callie's clavicle and down her sternum, Arizona pulled her earlobe between her teeth. "You. Me. A secluded little bungalow hut. On the beach. Surrounded by nothing but lush foliage and ocean views," she seductively whispered as if reading the amenities from an informational brochure.

Clearing her throat, Callie suddenly turned her head, heavily lidded eyes snapping open to meet smug bright blue. "When?" she asked in surprise. "We have the conference and then work. . ."

Pecking at Callie's lips to halt her words, Arizona smiled down at her still mostly immobile wife before letting out a long sigh. "I've been a monster, Calliope, and the moment I let you walk out of our home, I knew I needed to do something. I wanted to show you that I'm still all in, that I want to try new things, and be by your side every step of the way," she explained, her voice oozing remorse. "So, when I left the house to stop you at the airport, I asked Olivia to book us a place for a few days after the conference."

Searching Arizona's face, Callie smiled in excitement. "That sounds amazing, Arizona! I think that's just what you and I need," she commented with a wide grin. "And just so you know, at the airport. . .I'm really glad you stopped me."

"I'm really glad you let me," Arizona quickly added.

Pressing her face against an ivory neck, Callie gently ran her lips over the smooth skin she found there and, rolling onto her back, her eyes once again sagged shut, her breath now coming at an even pace.

Arizona smiled as she smugly reveled in the fact that Callie still hadn't quite recovered from the orgasmic high she was still riding but, when she remained quiet for way too long, Arizona lightly swatted at a curvy hip. "Don't you dare go to sleep on me, Calliope Torres!"

A slight smile slowly tugged at those deliciously full lips before morphing into a huge megawatt smile. "I'm not sleeping, babe. I was merely planning my revenge," she replied with a giddily maniacal laugh before quickly jumping up off the bed. Grabbing the gorgeously handcrafted Venetian flame mask Arizona had worn to the masquerade party earlier that night, she then threw it in her direction. "Put that on. I want you to wear it while I rock your world."


	10. Chapter 10

**Title**: Perfectly Imperfect

**Author**: HandsThatHeal

**Pairing**: Callie/Arizona

**Rating**: M/NC-17

**Summary**: Big changes bring big upheaval as Callie and Arizona find themselves alone for the first time in years. Will they be able to happily adapt to this new life without their children under their roof or will they now find that they have nothing in common in the absence of the ties that bound them together for so many years? Sequel to _Clarity_.

**Disclaimer**: All television shows, books, movies, songs, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work and the characters, events, and settings thereof are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context and are not intended to be libelous, defamatory, or in any way factual.

**AN: **In reading and editing these old chapters, I have realized that sometimes I have a tendency to be really long winded and prone to writing really long chapters, especially for this story. So, I once again split a chapter in half. With that said, the newest chapter of this story will now be posted on Sunday, November 9. Thanks again for all of your continued interest.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter Ten<strong>_

* * *

><p><em><strong>(Arizona's POV)<strong>_

_As parents, we hate to see our children disappointed. They are sad, downtrodden. They seem to have the weight of the world on their shoulders, and our hearts ache for their pain. We want to do everything we can to relieve them of that disappointment, even though some people believe that while disappointment feels really bad, it doesn't necessarily mean it IS a bad emotion that should be avoided at all costs. To the contrary, in fact. Disappointment is actually a healthy and positive emotion that plays an essential role in children's emotional, intellectual, and social development, but only if - and that's a big IF- we all understand the real value that disappointment plays in helping our kids to achieve their goals. _

_I remember the first time Sofia was old enough to realize what disappointment felt like. She was four and, all week long, we had planned to spend Saturday at the playground while Callie was at work, followed by a trip to her favorite ice cream shop once Mami got home. Sadly though, our time spent at the playground was ruined by rain and, when we arrived to get ice cream later that day, they were completely out of the Oreo Cookie crumbles she loved to dump on top of her French Vanilla ice cream. Little things, I know, but at the age of four, this was HUGE and, as a dejected pout tugged at the edges of her full little lips, I literally felt my heart break for her. _

_Ugh. . .I can still see her cherubic little chin trembling as she tried not to cry and, right then, I desperately wanted to take all of her pain away. I wanted to make it all better, and not just a little bit better, but more like maybe-we-should-look-for-the-nearest-farm-so-we-can-buy-her-a-pony-to-make-up-for-it kind of better_

_But. . .I couldn't do that. I needed to help Sofia learn that life is full of little and big disappointments and, even though the events of that day were in no way Callie's or my fault, our natural tendency was to try to make our little girl feel better. Placating children, though, unfortunately doesn't allow them to understand what caused the disappointment or to figure out how to prevent themselves from feeling let down in the future. Children need to be able to just sit with their disappointment for a while and ask themselves, "Why do I feel so bad?" and "What can I do to get over feeling this way?"_

_Needless to say, we didn't buy a pony that day, because as hard as it was to not, pacifying Sofia may only have communicated to her that we didn't think she was capable of handling and overcoming the setback. That kind of reaction would most likely have only interfered with her ability to surmount future obstacles, making future disappointments even more painful. _

_At least, that's what I'm told._

_I'm not trying to be a dissenter or a skeptic; I swear, I'm totally on board with that. I completely agree with all the parenting books and magazine articles when it comes to this. . .I really, really do, and I think Callie and I definitely worked very hard to instill this sense of independence, confidence, and resilience in all three of our kids when they were younger and were faced with whatever the disappointment of the moment should be._

_But, what about now? What happens when our children are grown adults, and they are feeling let down? And more importantly, what if the cause of their disappointment is. . .us? Well. . .me? What if this time, I am the one causing this unpleasant emotion to tear at Sofia's heart?_

* * *

><p>"This place is amazing, Arizona," Callie called as she made her way through their new digs, a secluded tropical living space called <em>The Island Romance Suite<em>. "We should let Olivia plan our vacations more often."

Crossing the large private deck with an enormous garden tub discreetly situated off to the left, Arizona made her way to sit in a bamboo chaise lounge as Callie stood admiring the luxurious outdoor shower. "Well, she always has been the one who liked to spend our money the most," Arizona ruefully commented with a wistful shake of her head as she looked upward to inspect the thatched roof of their bungalow hut.

Initially chuckling at the candor of her wife's comment, Callie quickly sobered when she watched and heard Arizona reflexively sigh for the tenth time since they'd entered the hut fifteen minutes before.

Studying her wife's features, Callie found a precarious mix of emotions swirling around in her stormy blue eyes; she appeared happy, but pensive, content, but restless, all at the same time. It was a strange conglomeration of feelings but, after knowing and loving the other woman for over a quarter of a century, she had a sense that she knew what this latest turmoil was all about.

Slowly crossing the wooden deck, Callie carefully slid into the chaise along with her wife, wedging herself between the bamboo cross rails and the warmth of Arizona's back. Taking an ivory hand into her own, Callie allowed her own eyes to follow Arizona's gaze, both women now staring out to marvel at the sea dazzling in the late-afternoon sun, the passing clouds imprinting shadows on every single grain of sand.

"You should call her."

With her brow furrowing in question, Arizona turned to face her wife, Callie's voice unintentionally breaking her from the intoxicating calm that had temporarily washed over her. "Call who?" she evasively asked.

Callie smiled at her seemingly dense wife, though she knew without a doubt that she was just being stubborn.

_Again_.

"You know who I'm talking about, Arizona," Callie gently replied.

Arizona remained still for several long moments before tipping her head to the side in consideration. "I highly doubt she wants to talk to _me_," she dishearteningly mused before closing her eyes and shaking her head.

Leaning forward so she could better see her wife, Callie reverently took the sides of a smooth face between her hands before pressing a light kiss against pink lips. "I disagree," she softly stated, watching as moist blue eyes slowly fluttered open at her simple statement. "Sofia loves you, honey, and through all of this, the only thing she's really wanted is to _talk_. . .to _you_," she earnestly insisted, removing one hand from her wife's face to tuck a windblown strand of hair behind her ear. "Sofia may be getting married, Arizona, but no matter what, she's always going to be your girl."

* * *

><p>Thirty minutes later, Arizona sat in a padded lounge chair at the water's edge, aviator sunglasses covering her eyes and a straw fedora with a red band surrounding it, which perfectly matched her strapless tankini, sitting atop her head. With her iPad held in her hands, she sighed, her mind racing as she desperately tried to gather her thoughts enough for the call she needed to make.<p>

She was sure she knew exactly why Callie had disappeared into their hut ten minutes before with the flimsy excuse of wanting to make them some cocktails; she wanted to give her the privacy she needed but, right now, she was just too nervous. She'd never before felt like she had let down Sofia so epically in her entire life and, the thought of confessing her faults to her daughter, literally made her want to puke.

Or cry.

Or both.

Right now, she could definitely do a little bit of both.

However, with one final sigh, she decided to bite the bullet, pulling her sunglasses from her face before tapping her index finger against the FaceTime app and scrolling through the contacts. Apprehensively waiting for her eldest daughter's gorgeous face to materialize on the screen, she anxiously tapped fidgety thumbs against the sides of her iPad and, just when she was about to hit the red _End Call_ button, there was a pause in the device's ring, magical big brown eyes soon staring back at her from over a thousand miles away.

Immediately recognizing pain in those dark brown depths, Arizona quickly diverted her gaze, neither mother nor daughter choosing to speak as uncertain cerulean eyes flicked about to study the younger woman's every feature, though they never once reconnected with her eyes.

Arizona knew what she would find staring back at her; hurt, anger, and disappointment all wrapped up into one caustic emotion but, shaking her head at her nerves, she finally flicked her eyes toward Sofia's, her jaw clenching when she saw exactly what she'd expected.

"Hey," Arizona finally greeted with a lopsided smile.

Sofia's full lips remained turned down in a slight frown as she adjusted herself in what Arizona assumed was the desk chair in her apartment.

"Hey," Sofia responded with a sigh. "How's vacation?" she softly asked.

Arizona's held her gaze with that of her ambivalent looking child, the hurt she saw in those chocolate orbs, causing a lump of emotion to form in her throat. "It's umm. . .it's been great. We just got to our new bungalow, but the conference was great. Mami didn't puke during her acceptance speech. . ." she said with a grin before trailing off.

Clearing her throat, the heaviness in her heart somewhat lightened when she heard the melodious sound of a soft chuckle falling from her daughter's mouth.

"Sofia. . ." Arizona then breathed out; she had so much to say, but didn't know where to begin.

Large tears welled in the twenty-five year old woman's eyes, a sniffle coming through the iPad's speakers as she hastily wiped at her nose.

Closing her eyes in an attempt to hold her own tears at bay, Arizona then opened them, her attention never once straying from her little girl. "I am _so_ insanely proud of you, Sofia," she began, her voice soft, but full of conviction. "And I. . .I was wrong. _So wrong_ for dismissing you. You're my daughter, Sofia - my _girl_ - and I haven't been present for you," she continued, pausing momentarily to once again clear her throat. "I've been. . ._selfish_. When all you needed was my time and my support during one of the most momentous occasions of your life, I chose to do nothing but think about myself. I'm so sorry for that, sweetheart. I'm sorry I hurt you. I'm sorry I didn't show you how _unbelievably_ happy I am that you've found someone _so special_ you've decided to take this next step in order to share the rest of your life with him."

Sofia sniffled again, a giant tear dripping from her eye and slowing sliding down her face. "Mom. . ." she managed to choke out.

"I need you to believe me when I tell you just how much I love you, Sofia Robbin Sloan Torres. I need you to know how sorry I am that _this_ happened. I. . ." Arizona paused, her right hand coming up to her cheek to wipe at the moisture that lay there. "I just can't believe you're almost finished with medical school. That you're at the top of your class. . .no, wait. I believe that one," she tried to joke in attempt to provide some levity to their conversation. "You've grown into such an amazing, smart, miraculous young woman, Sofia, and I. . .I'm sorry that I didn't show you how much I respect you, how much I love you, and how very privileged, honored, and proud I am to call you my daughter."

Standing on the deck undetected, Callie sighed as she watched the interaction occur between her wife and the image of their eldest daughter on the tablet screen. She was so glad Arizona had finally decided to call Sofia and, leaning her elbows on the railing, a signature megawatt smile consumed her face as she watched her wife's head tip back; the laughter sounding from Arizona's lips was music to her ears.

Their lives were forever evolving with days of sunshine and rain, happiness and tears, and everything in between. And despite their losses, change was definitely a good thing. They would somehow find a new rhythm - a new normal - as long as they trusted that everything would turn out right. This too shall pass and, from the sound of her wife's voice as she happily talked floral arrangements, bridesmaid gowns, and menu choices with their clearly ecstatic little girl, this latest storm seemed to be passing more quickly than she'd initially thought.

They were definitely going to make their way through this and, as she turned to allow her wife this private moment, Callie knew that in the end, they would certainly be better off than they were before.

* * *

><p>The following day, Callie lay prone on a padded beach mat, her arms stretched to her sides as her fingers raked through the warm sand they found there. As she dragged her hands back and forth through the sand, she sighed, her complacent mind drifting to thoughts of the past six days.<p>

Six days ago, she'd walked out of the home she'd shared with her wife and children for the past twenty years, not knowing exactly what to do with herself. She'd been so angry and so hurt by Arizona's actions and despondency that she wasn't sure if they'd ever be able to bounce back from it.

But then. . .there she was. The beautiful blonde she'd fallen in love with so many years before was standing there in the middle of an airport bathroom, fighting for her. Fighting for them and for their family and, right then, in that moment, Callie realized that they were going to make this work. They were going to fix it like they'd done so many times before, because the two of them. . .were made for each other.

That first evening and the following day had certainly started off a little tense but, the more time they spent together and the more time they took to really listen to one another and to understand the other's feelings, the closer they came to reaching common ground. And so, here they were. In a secluded tropical area in their own little hut, spending as much time together as humanly possible, and man did it feel good.

So, _so_ good.

They'd spent most of the previous day reconnecting in every way possible, planning a couple days in Miami with her parents once their time in their little bungalow was through and talking about each of their children, making plans for when they would be able to see or visit all three.

Most importantly, though, they had spent time just being them. Callie and Arizona. Two mothers who certainly loved their children but, beyond that, two wives who desperately loved each other. Two women who _needed_ to feel and to experience the other's affection, the other's devotion, as well as the other's touch.

With a contented sigh, Callie leisurely rolled onto her back, thoughts of making love to her wife for the past five nights sending a shiver down her spine and a sudden burst of heat directly to her center. She didn't realize how much she'd missed the freedom of being completely uninhibited during their _sexy time_, the wild abandon she and Arizona had both enjoyed over the past five nights, only further cementing her stand; being the mothers of three grown adults who no longer lived at home was definitely going to have its perks.

Stepping off the deck steps and into the sand, Arizona watched as Callie knelt beside her chair before pushing herself up off the ground in order to recline on the padded lounge chair near the edge of the shore. It was sometimes hard for her to believe how, even after twenty-seven years, the simple act of seeing Callie in a bathing suit, could immediately turn her on, causing her heart to race and her breath to quicken.

But then again, Callie Torres was hot and, she was hers, so really it wasn't actually _that_ surprising, at all.

Chuckling to herself at the thought, Arizona forced herself to stop ogling her wife as she made her way to her own chair, a fruity pink cocktail in each hand, sunglasses covering her eyes, and a straw fedora shielding her face from the sun. "Here you go, pretty lady," she greeted, handing one Hurricane glass to her wife as she sipped from the yellow umbrella straw sticking out of her own.

Taking a sip from her own glass, Callie hummed her approval as the cool liquid met her tongue. "Mmm, delicious," she stated in acclamation before taking another long draw from her straw.

"Not bad, huh?" Arizona teased as she made herself comfortable on the chair next to her.

With a mischievous smile on her face, wandering brown eyes, hidden behind the dark lenses of oversized sunglasses, made their way down the length of Arizona's form as Callie subconsciously licked her lips in admiration. "Do you have any idea how insanely _hot_ you are?"

When Arizona didn't answer, only rolling her eyes instead, Callie momentarily smirked at her hot little vixen of a wife before quickly hopping off her chair and moving to straddle Arizona's hips. Sitting back on her heels, she then took the Hurricane glass from her hand, twisting its base into the sand to keep it standing upright. Not saying another word, she then leaned in to kiss the sun warmed skin covering the smaller woman's clavicle, bracing herself with her hands on the arms of the chair. "So, I made a plan for today," she eventually commented, never once removing her lips from smooth skin.

"Oh yeah?" Arizona asked, her left hand grasping at Callie's forearm as the other traced abstract patterns over the skin beneath the top of her wife's deep purple tankini. "What kind of plan?" she asked, her fingernails digging into Callie's arm when she hit a particularly sensitive spot with her lips.

"Well, first. . ." Callie began, continuing to drag her lips over Arizona's flesh. "I thought we could just lounge on the beach. Just the two of us," she stated, her hips pressing forward against her wife's abdomen. "And _then_. . .I can't tell you. The rest is a surprise," she husked, one hand reaching out to drag a navy blue bathing suit strap down Arizona's shoulder.

Pushing her sunglasses up onto her head, Arizona placed her hands on both sides of Callie's face, forcing her to meet her gaze. "You do remember that I hate surprises, right?" she sternly asked, though her lips instantly betrayed her tone by acting of their own accord to attach themselves to the tanned flesh of her wife's neck.

"Yeah, baby. I remember," Callie whispered with a slight nod, immediately diving back in to gather the opposite bathing suit strap between her teeth to tug it downward. "But, don't worry. Nothing's going to jump out at you. I promise," she informed with a laugh, using her hands to push Arizona's top the rest of the way down until it lay bunched around her waist. "Because, everything we're going to do today is just about us. Just _you_. . .and _me_."

* * *

><p><em><strong>(Flashback: 14 years ago)<strong>_

_"No, Sam! Wait!" Arizona called out, anxiously watching as her four year old son broke free from the hold she held on his hand to happily leap down three boardwalk steps all at once as he excitedly made his way toward the water's edge. _

_Hearing the distress in her wife's voice, Callie immediately looked in that direction from where she stood at the bottom of the stairs with Sofia and Olivia. Her left arm was bogged down by a beach bag and about a thousand sand toys, but a stealthy right hand briskly darted out to intercept the rambunctious little boy before he went splashing carefree into the waters of the Biscayne Bay. "Not so fast there, little man," she stated with a reproachful glare as she dropped to her knees in the sand in front of him. "You know you can't just go running off into the ocean like that," she gently chastised as she held his forearms in her hands._

_Noting the sternness of his mother's voice and the look in her eyes, Sam managed to look appropriately scolded beneath the brim of a lime green bucket hat before his dark brown eyes momentarily glanced downward as he kicked at warm sand with his bare feet. "Sorry, Mami, but I'm just sooooo excited," he whined. _

_Tipping her head to the side, Callie pursed her lips in consideration of how adorably cute, albeit mischievous, their youngest child really was; punishments were nearly impossible at times for that very reason. _

_Pressing her fingertips beneath his chin, she gently forced his head upward so she could look into his eyes. "I know you are, buddy, but you have to be patient, okay? You'll be able to play before you know it," she stated, leaning back into Arizona's front when she sensed her approach from behind. _

_With a slight huff and a reluctant nod of his head, Sam first regarded Callie before looking up toward Arizona. "Sorry, Mami. Sorry, momma. I'll be more patient," he apologized, his tiny bottom lip jutting out in a precious little pout. _

_God, was he adorable. _

_"Thanks, bud," Arizona replied, ruffling Sam's hat before reaching out to take his hand so they could meander their way down the remainder of sand leading to the area where she and Callie had set up their chairs and umbrella earlier that morning. _

_Reaching their spot, Arizona made sure Sofia had her brother's hand before turning away to drop her bag onto a towel. Untying the sarong that was wrapped around her waist, she then stuffed it into her bag before plopping down to sit and, with a heavy sigh, she buried her toes deep in the sand as a warm breeze off the ocean whipped her hair around her face. _

_Watching her wife, Callie could tell that something wasn't quite right; Arizona had seemed upset or. . .something from the moment they'd awakened in the old bedroom of her childhood home an hour and a half before. _

_"You okay over there?" Callie asked, hearing another heavy exhalation from the woman beside her._

_Arizona didn't immediately respond, only nodding her head as she sat in pensive silence, aviator covered eyes flicking constantly from the left and then to the right, counting one, two, three every ten seconds to make sure that all three of their children were safe and sound, present and accounted for. "Yeah, yeah. I'm okay," she finally answered, though she didn't say anything more. _

_Narrowing her eyes in concern, Callie could tell there was something bothering her wife but, deciding to let it go for the moment, she reached over the arm of her Adirondack chair to take a smaller hand into her own. _

_Enjoying the time spent with her family, as well as the warm Miami air and the heat of the morning sun, Callie stared down the beach to watch their three beautiful babies happily at play. "God, they're amazing," she softly mused after several moments of quiet introspection, a brilliant megawatt smile lighting her face as she watched eleven year old Sofia hold each of her younger siblings' hands, Olivia on her right and Sam to her left as they jumped the small waves at the edge of the shore. _

_Arizona once again sighed though, this time, a smile made its way to her lips as she listened to her children's laughter, all similar, yet individual in their own way; happy squeals and unfettered shouts echoed over the din of the waves that crashed against the span of the private beach owned by her father-in-law. "How many more of them do you think we'll have?" she finally asked, her voice small and barely audible over the harmonization of wind and waves, seagulls and laughter. _

_Callie's head instantly whipped to the side, her eyes wide as she stared stupefied at her wife's profile. "What do you mean? How many more kids?" she gasped, completely shocked and bewildered by her wife's question._

_"Dear God, Calliope! Of course not!" Arizona exclaimed with a staggering laugh, finally taking her eyes off the kids who had now made their way back up the beach a safe distance from the threat of the ocean's wrath. _

_"Oh, thank God," Callie breathed out, her own nervous laugh bubbling up from within her chest. Exhaling a sigh of relief, she then brought a bottle of water to her lips, wetting her suddenly arid mouth at the thought of adding a fourth child to the controlled chaos that was already their hectic life. _

_Arizona shook her head, chuckling softly as Callie gulped at her drink, aghast brown eyes remaining the size of saucers. "These three are undoubtedly the most amazing tiny humans in the world, Calliope, but I definitely think we should quit while we're ahead," she replied, leaning forward in her seat before turning to face her wife. "What I meant was. . .how many more family vacations do you think we'll have? With all three of them?" she explained, pushing her sunglasses past her forehead to rest in her hair._

_Pulling her own sunglasses from in front of her eyes, Callie stuck one glasses stem down into the front of her bathing suit, her eyes shifting from Arizona for a quick second to once again assure that Sofia, Olivia, and Sam were all still okay. _

_Smiling as Sofia and Olivia worked together to build a sand castle while Sam poured clumps of wet sand over his own legs, Callie then turned her attention from the intoxicating sight of their children to land on her oh so sexy, black bikini clad wife. "Oh, I don't know," she finally spoke with a slight shrug. "What do you think? Like seven? At least until Sofia goes to. . .college?" _

_Arizona sighed yet again; she couldn't believe her wife had just uttered the word 'college' in the same sentence as their eldest daughter's name and, from the look on Callie's face, it was obvious she was having great difficulty coming to terms with her statement, as well. _

_"That's not very many," Arizona whispered, the thoughts she'd been chewing on for most of the day now out in the open and lingering between them._

_Completely unwilling to allow these admittedly disheartening thoughts to ruin such a wonderful day, Callie leaned over in her chair, pressing a loving kiss against Arizona's cheek. "What?" she scoffed, her hand coming to rest on a naked thigh. "You won't be happy to come to the beach with only me?" she teased, hoping to lighten the suddenly foreboding mood. "You know. . .with no buckets and shovels? No rafts and water wings? No juice boxes and snacks? No fighting EVERY half hour with three stubborn kids who despise pausing long enough to re-apply their sun block? You really wouldn't be okay with that? Just you and me? Alone? At the beach?" she continued, nuzzling her nose against the smooth skin of her wife's jaw. _

_A dimpled grin graced Arizona's face, Callie's breath against her neck causing her to shiver as she leaned over the arm of the chair to get closer to her wife. Looking to her left to once again survey the safety of their children, she then reached out to steal a drink from Callie's bottle of water. "That does sound pretty great, actually," she ruefully admitted with a quick peck to plump lips that desperately dreamed of becoming so much more. _

_Seductively quirking an eyebrow, Callie momentarily allowed her eyes to provocatively rake up and down her wife's form, thoroughly enjoying the round of laughter her flirtatious teasing provoked. "I know, right?!" she enthused, happily pressing another kiss to moist lips. "But until then," she continued, her mood slightly sobering, "you and I are going to cherish every single moment we have left with our amazing kids."_


	11. Chapter 11

**Title**: Perfectly Imperfect

**Author**: HandsThatHeal

**Pairing**: Callie/Arizona

**Rating**: M/NC-17

**Summary**: Big changes bring big upheaval as Callie and Arizona find themselves alone for the first time in years. Will they be able to happily adapt to this new life without their children under their roof or will they now find that they have nothing in common in the absence of the ties that bound them together for so many years? Sequel to _Clarity_.

**Disclaimer**: All television shows, books, movies, songs, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work and the characters, events, and settings thereof are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context and are not intended to be libelous, defamatory, or in any way factual.

**AN: **This chapter really should come complete with a soundtrack so, if you are interested, you may want to have the following songs on standby to listen to as they come along in the chapter or once you're done reading.

_Do You Wanna Touch Me_: Joan Jett & the Blackhearts (1993)

_Time After Time_: Cyndi Lauper (1984)

_Arizona_: Mark Lindsay (1969)

_The Way You Make Me Feel_: Michael Jackson (1987)

It's not really necessary to have these, but I love music and when songs are mentioned in fics, I like to be able to hear them, so I just thought I'd give you a little heads up.

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><p><em><strong>Chapter Eleven<strong>_

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><p>Standing at the foot of the bed, Arizona slipped the floral print maxi dress she had worn to dinner over her hips before allowing it to land in a pool at her feet. Lost in her thoughts, she then picked up the dress from the floor, meticulously folding it as she crossed the room toward her suitcase and, grabbing a charcoal gray tank top, she pulled it over her head before sitting down on the edge of the bed to don a pair of sleep shorts.<p>

She and Callie had just arrived at their bungalow after spending the evening together; finally revealed, Callie's surprise was a romantic dinner for two as they enjoyed a magical sunset from a secluded table set on the beach. With their shoes kicked to the side and their toes in the sand, they both had enjoyed the breathtaking sight of the fiery orb of light slowly sinking beneath the horizon as threads of light lingered in the sky to dye the heavens, first orange, then red, then dark blue, until all that was left of the sun was wisps of pink before it melted away for darkness to overtake the sky.

Entering the bedroom from the ensuite bath, Callie watched as Arizona dipped the toes of her prosthesis into the leg of her shorts and, with an instant thought popping into her head, she quickly crossed the room to stop her. "No. Not yet. Don't put those on," she not so eloquently demanded, a round of giddy laughter bubbling up from within her but, seeing the confusion written all over Arizona's face, she thought it best to explain. "Just. . .just wait here. Don't move. I have an idea," she insisted before darting out of the room.

Shaking her head at Callie's behavior, Arizona remained within the confines of the bedroom, though she clandestinely peeked her head around the doorframe in search of her wife. "Callie?" she called, the bungalow mostly dark since their return from dinner only fifteen minutes before. "Calliope?"

Movement to her right soon piqued her attention and, spinning around, Arizona caught sight of her wife, clad in a black tank top and loose cotton pajama pants, pulling a blanket from the back of the living room sofa, her arms also loaded with a bottle of Rose and two wine glasses. "What are you doing? Wh. . ."

Before Arizona could finish her thought, Callie grabbed her by the hand, pulling her out the doors and onto the deck and, bounding down the steps, the taller woman then made her way to the water's edge. Spreading the blanket out atop the warm sand, she gently placed the wine bottle and glasses on it before walking back to her wife who remained at the top of four stairs.

"Seriously, Callie. What are you doing?" Arizona once again asked, a grin tugging at her lips as she regarded the carefree spirit that oozed from her wife's every pore.

Callie remained quiet and, pulling her phone from the pocket of her pants, she tapped her index finger against the screen several times before the pulsing beat of a bass drum soon filled the air.

With a seductive smirk on her face and a sultry gleam in her eyes, Callie tossed her phone onto the blanket before teasingly dipping her thumbs into the waistband of her pants, her hips provocatively swaying from side to side as an electric guitar joined in with the drum, pajama pants no longer covering her long legs as a delicious pair of pink boy shorts came into view.

Arizona's eyes widened at the sight of her wife's sexy little striptease and, laughing as she watched Callie flip her pants off the tip of her right big toe, she promiscuously narrowed her eyes as the taller woman meaningfully hooked two index fingers with a come hither suggestion.

"_We've been here too long, tryin' to get along. Pretendin' that you're oh, so shy. I'm a natural ma'am, doin' all I can. My temperature is runnin' high_. . ." Callie sang, her voice taking on a gravelly timbre while her hips expertly moved to the beat, her eyes never once leaving the now salacious ones of her wife.

Unable to deny Callie Torres anything in the world at this point in time, Arizona did as those beckoning fingers asked and, carefully descending the stairs, her own body was instantly drawn like a magnet toward the tanned one in front of her.

"You said you wanted to get drunk and dance in your underwear," Callie explained, reminding Arizona of the conversation they'd had just days before.

"But, I'm not drunk," Arizona halfheartedly argued.

"No, but you _are_ in your underwear," Callie pointed out, her hands moving to cup two taut butt cheeks in their grasp.

Arizona squealed at her wife's sudden attack, though she quickly joined in the fun, her own arms moving up to wrap around Callie's neck.

"How long has it been since we danced in our underwear?" Arizona asked, the volume of her voice rising to be heard over the thump of the music and the crash of the waves against the shore.

Tipping her head to the side, Callie momentary pondered the question but, unable to pinpoint the exact moment in history when they had last been unrestricted enough to do what they were currently doing, she shook her head. "I honestly don't know, but what I do know is. . ._every girl an' boy needs a little joy. All you do is sit an' stare." _Callie's voice effortlessly joined back in with the music, and dropping to her knees in the sand, she playfully stared up at her wife. "_Beggin' on my knees, baby, won't you please? Run your fingers through my hair_?"

Doing just that, Arizona once again laughed at her wife's antics, long caramel arms dramatically strumming an air guitar as her head _banged_ up and down. With her eyes closed, Callie bit her bottom lip as she continued to rock out, completely oblivious to the world around her.

After enjoying her wife's show for several amazing moments, Arizona then pulled Callie back up into standing as the steady beat of the music continued to pulse through the air. Finding herself lost in the rhythm, Arizona's hips seductively gyrated and grooved to the tempo along with those of her wife, the sensation of now being pressed together so intimately, causing a surge of electricity to shoot straight to her core.

She couldn't believe how much she'd missed this kind of boisterous and lighthearted time spent with Callie. There was nothing raunchy about it, nothing dirty or nasty, but it was just. . ._fun_. It was passionate and comfortable, intimate and uninhibited, and Arizona found herself laughing hysterically as she and her wife continued to sing and dance around each other like a couple of crazy ladies.

_"Do you wanna touch?"_

_"Yeah!"_

_"Do you wanna touch?"_

_"Yeah!"_

_"Do you wanna touch me there, where?"_

_"There!"_

_"Yeah!"_

They echoed the lyrics back and forth as if their bodies had become possessed by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts and, reaching out, Arizona squeezed the back of Callie's thighs, pulling her more flush against her.

Reveling in the delicious friction caused by her wife's center pressed so firmly against her own but, enjoying herself way too much to bring this night to an untimely end, Callie removed Arizona's hands from her body and, pulling her arms upward, she laced her fingers around the back of her neck, her own hands now grasping at the material of Arizona's red cotton panties. Running her fingertips up and down her wife's sides, Callie then tickled at Arizona's ribs, an unabashed wail of laughter filling the air as they continued to dance and sing.

Callie's head tipped back at the sound of Arizona's infectious giggles, her own intoxicating laugh booming from her chest as they continued their jovial, but sultry dance, both women allowing the music to consume them as they possessively explored the other's body with insistently roaming hands and bent knees that seemed to know exactly what they were doing as they skillfully nudged and brushed against the sensitive flesh of both women's inner thighs.

Hearing the song begin to fade, they tightly held onto each other as they attempted to calm their ragged breath. Neither woman was able to stop laughing for even a moment, though the mood quickly morphed from frivolous and fun to more serious and romantic when the song changed, a softer and more temperate melody now penetrating their ears.

Callie lovingly regarded her wife, a knowing smile tugging at her lips as she listened to the first chords of the next song and, as they both began to sway to the music, legs intertwined, twinkling blue eyes stared up into dark brown before Arizona leaned closer, her lips pressing against the shell of a tanned ear as she softly began to sing. "_Lying in my bed I hear the clock tick and think of you. Caught up in circles, confusion is nothing new_."

"_Flashback - warm nights. Almost left behind. Suitcase of memories. Time after. . ." _Callie trailed off and, unable to resist the forces within her, she then leaned in, passionately claiming Arizona's mouth in a fervid kiss, one set of moist lips massaging the other as one lazy tongue unhurriedly tangled with its mate.

They kissed for several long moments, thoroughly enjoying the simple presence and company of the woman standing before them and, when the kiss came to its gradual end, Arizona pulled back, a slight smirk on her face as she held Callie's gaze.

God, was her wife stunning. Remaining dark and exotic after all these years, that old sense of the untamed still rested just barely suppressed below the surface of her every feature. Callie's face had obviously matured since they had first met but, despite the very subtle laugh lines that lay etched around her mouth, her skin was still flawless and impossibly gorgeous. As she gazed into those magical chocolate eyes that seemed to hold all the mysteries of the universe in their depths, Arizona found herself drowning in them for the millionth time since they'd met. "I love you," she whispered, her voice barely loud enough to be heard above the music and the sounds of the sea.

Taking Arizona's face into her hands, warm caramel palms caressed sun kissed cheeks as Callie once again inched forward, this time sucking her wife's bottom lip into her mouth before releasing it with an audible pop. "And, I love you," she earnestly replied, her eyes raking over Arizona's face as she took in every miraculously spectacular feature, each and every one committed to memory from having the privilege and the honor of staring at this beautiful woman every day for the past twenty-seven years.

With overwhelmed tears suddenly brimming in her eyes, Callie briefly looked away before taking Arizona's hand into her own. Leading her toward the blanket she'd placed in the sand before the music had started to play, both women then took a seat; Callie sat behind Arizona, the smaller woman's back pressed into her chest as she made herself comfortable seated between long, outstretched legs.

"_If you're lost you can look, and you will find me. Time after time. If you fall I will catch you. I'll be waiting. Time after time," _Callie softly sang into Arizona's ear, protectively wrapping her arms around her wife's front.

Embracing Callie's arms with her own, Arizona sighed as she thought about how unconditionally true the lyrics to this song were in regard to their life together and, helplessly melting into Callie's front, she hummed to the music, reveling in the sensation of being completely surrounded by her wife.

Both women quickly lost themselves in the other's presence combined with the atmosphere; the vision of the shimmering ocean as it carelessly lapped at the shore, providing the harmony to their music as the silvery glow of the moonlight cast an eerie glow on lush palm trees that swayed in the warmth of the late night breeze.

Removing one arm from its hold on Arizona's body, Callie gently pushed blonde hair to the side to allow herself access to the smooth flesh at the back of her wife's neck. Laying only whispers of kisses from the prominence of her jaw to the crook of her neck, she pulled Arizona closer, further enveloping her in her arms when she felt her shiver under the intensity of her touch.

Snaking her free hand behind them both, Arizona threaded her fingers into the thick hair at the back of Callie's head, her movement forcing Callie's lips to remain exactly where they were.

As the last strains of the song faded to silence, Callie smiled against Arizona's skin when she heard the next song begin.

Arizona furrowed her brow in question when she too heard the rhythm and, hearing Callie chuckle against her skin, she grinned as her wife began to serenade her with what she had long ago deemed _her_ song.

"_She must belong to San Francisco. She must have lost her way. Postin' a poster of Poncho and Cisco one California day. She said she believes in Robin Hood and brotherhood and colors of green and grey. And all you can do is laugh at her. Doesn't anybody know how to pray? Arizona, take off your rainbow shades. Arizona, have another look at the world. My myyy. Arizona, cut off your Indian braids. Arizona, hey won'tcha go my way. . ."_

Arizona playfully rolled her eyes as Callie alternated between singing to her and pressing moist lips to her skin, a girlish giggle soon leaving her mouth when she recalled her wife's strangely excited reaction to her initial discovery of this song.

Arizona had always thought it to be ridiculously silly and completely ludicrous when her mom would sing it to her as a child but, in the capable hands - and singing voice - of her wife, it just meant so much more. Because. . .when Callie sang it to her, the song was no longer illogical and foolhardy but, instead, it became more meaningful; a song about permanence and natural beauty and about two people who wanted love, stability, comfort, and all of the things that make a person whole.

"_You gotta follow me up to San Francisco. I will guide your way. I'll be the Count of Monte Cristo. You'll be the Countess May. And you can believe in Robin Hood and brotherhood and rolling the ball in the hay. And I will be reading you an Aesop's fable. Anything to make you stay-ay-ay. Arizona, take off your rainbow shades. Arizona, have another look at the world, my my. Arizona, cut off your Indian braids. Arizona, hey won'tcha go my way_. . ."

This night had been nothing short of perfect and, knowing just how she wanted it to end, Arizona turned in her wife's arms, hastily leaning in to kiss her with such fervor that Callie fell backward onto the blanket covered sand as a persistent tongue swept and swirled inside her mouth, slim hips acting of their own volition as they thrust against Callie's with blazing insistence.

Their hands were everywhere, Arizona's quickly divesting her wife of her tank top and boy shorts before allowing Callie to roll them over in order to hastily return the favor, but when Callie lowered herself back down, her entire front flush with the body beneath her, their urgent movements suddenly slowed.

Carefully rolling back over, Callie brought her wife along with her, Arizona's teeth nipping at a caramel earlobe as her one hand reached downward to deftly rid herself of the oppressive weight of her prosthesis.

Callie gasped out loud when her wife's right knee then parted her legs, pressing upward against her aroused center. "Arizona. . ." she rasped out, her fingers running up and down the long muscles of her spine.

"You're beautiful," Arizona whispered, one hand at either side of Callie's head, supporting her weight as she leaned down to insistently capture plump lips with her own.

Callie returned the kiss with equal fervor, her tongue sweeping and swirling inside her wife's mouth as her hips thrust upward against Arizona's naked pelvis. Callie bit her bottom lip as Arizona continued to rock against her, the wanton need she found in her wife's eyes, completely breathtaking and perfectly overwhelming.

"I love you, Calliope," Arizona whispered into her wife's ear, their lower bodies continuing to writhe together in perfect harmony.

Callie swallowed hard, rapidly losing all control but, intent on pleasuring her wife first, she grasped gloriously persistent hips with her hands, holding them steady as she attempted to move her wife's body upward.

"Callie?" Arizona breathed out in confusion.

"I want you like this," Callie demanded, maneuvering Arizona's body to straddle her awaiting mouth.

Suddenly worried she was about to lose her balance and harshly come crashing down upon her wife, Arizona pressed all of her weight onto her right knee, her arms slightly flailing, though Callie's strong hands immediately proved capable of supporting the rest of her weight.

"I've got you," Callie insisted before her mouth immediately sought out swollen folds, the tip of her tongue then flicking once, twice, three times against a pulsing bundle of nerves

"Oh, God," Arizona gasped, throwing her head back in pleasure as she sank further down onto her lover's awaiting lips.

Indulging herself for what seemed like forever, Callie luxuriated in the sound of Arizona's soft moans as she traced a path between her labia with her tongue, competent hands gripping Arizona's hips more tightly as she pushed her tongue forward, initially meeting a slight resistance before finally entering her slick opening with startling ease.

Arizona moaned loudly at being filled so perfectly and, despite their location, she screamed out in unadulterated pleasure when Callie flexed her tongue inside her, a gentle yet insistent pressure causing Arizona's opening to perfectly mold around that so very deft tongue as if this was predetermined - as if they were destined for one another.

Finally becoming less nervous about falling and ultimately crushing her wife's gorgeous face, Arizona began to force her center down upon Callie's mouth but, when that glorious tongue disappeared from her entrance to tease her bud before once again skimming the outline of her folds, Arizona found herself completely frustrated, not just because Callie seemed content to push her right to the edge without ever letting her topple over into orgasmic bliss, but also because she had no idea what to do with her hands.

And, she really needed to do something with her hands.

This position had kind of gone by the wayside in their bag of tricks after the amputation; Arizona was nervous she wouldn't be able to hold herself up despite Callie's argument that she could either support her with her own hands or they could prop her residual limb up on pillows. Arizona had eventually conceded to Callie's request years before but, at this point in their lives, it had been a while, perhaps years even, since she'd found herself in her once favorite position.

She would normally grab at the headboard of the bed or even a towel rack during the times Callie had taken her this way while she remained lying in the tub but, here on the beach, with nothing in front of her to brace herself against as her wife's tongue lapped at her engorged flesh, Arizona found her brain too blissfully hazy and full of lust to figure out exactly what to do.

She just needed. . .support.

She needed something to grasp on to.

Something to tug and to pull.

She needed something to dig her fingernails into as she came.

"God, Callie!" she shouted in slight irritation, but more importantly in uninhibited arousal. And, when Callie's chin came into contact with her throbbing clit, Arizona's hands made the decision for her. Instantly acting on their one, the left suddenly chose to grasp at her own breast as the right painfully tangled into thick brunette hair.

Callie continued to worship her wife, rubbing her face up and down against her as Arizona's nails gently scratched her scalp, though her grip on her lover's hair soon tightened when plump lips hungrily began to suck on her pulsing nub before a probing tongue once again breached her entrance.

"Fuck!" Arizona growled, the word echoing like a series of reverberations, bouncing from the back of her throat. She desperately needed to find her release, and was so, _so_ close but, as she held Callie's head motionless, save for the ministrations of her mouth, nearly obsidian eyes that twinkled up at her, causing a rush of heated moisture to seep from her core at the thought of making her wife come right along with her.

As Callie worked her tongue faster, relentlessly forcing it in and out of her wife's opening, she suddenly groaned in confusion when she felt Arizona shift her weight forward, leaning down onto her forearms as she slithered down her body.

Arizona worried her own bottom lip between her teeth as she hurriedly straddled Callie's legs, her right leg slipping beneath Callie's body to squeeze her oh, so tightly. Sitting up, her bottom and engorged opening came to rest directly over Callie's distended clitoris, and with an insistent downward thrust, Arizona wrapped her leg more firmly around Callie, heated centers molding together as one.

Callie's hands grasped at Arizona's hips, her fingernails leaving crescent shaped indentations on her bottom as the beginnings of an orgasm began to make itself known from deep within. "I love feeling you on top of me, Arizona," she groaned as she watched her wife feverishly clutch at her own bouncing breasts, her breath catching in her throat as an unexpected wave of ocean water reached her toes, traveling halfway up her calf before once again retreating with the tide.

"So close. . ." Arizona groaned, knowing she would be wholeheartedly unable to successfully stave off an orgasm right now even if she tried.

"Me, too. Keep going. Please don't stop," Callie begged, her eyes never leaving the seductively lidded ones of her wife.

The beach soon filled with their not so muffled cries of pleasure as they went about expertly pleasuring the other in a way only they knew how, two lovers moving in sync, their bodies instinctively knowing what the other craved.

"Harder, Arizona!" Callie hoarsely demanded when she felt her orgasm fast approaching. "Just a little bit. . .fuck me. . .just a little bit. . .harder," she muttered, her heated body tingling and shivering when the water once again travelled up and then back down her legs.

Knowing the exact pressure and cadence of thrusts her wife was searching for, Arizona adjusted her movements, causing Callie to scream out once again. "Oh, yes! Just like that!"

"Mmmm. . .Yes!" Arizona moaned, her back arching when Callie's thumb suddenly slammed into her throbbing nub. "Fuck, Calliope!" she yelped as the most violent orgasm she'd ever experienced exploded within her, causing her entire body to spasm and thrash atop her wife.

Electricity surged through Callie's body at the sight of her wife trembling above her and, when one more tepid ocean wave met her burning skin in perfect time with Arizona's final ragged thrust, her back violently arched off the blanket as her heels dug into the sand. She opened her mouth to release a choked scream but, before any utterance could leave her lips, her body once again painfully contracted as a second and totally unexpected explosion of shattering release flooded her entire form.

Falling forward, Arizona collapsed on top of Callie's shuddering and jerking form, her own sweat slickened body feverishly convulsing and trembling against her. Completely breathless, Arizona found herself wholly unable to roll off her wife and, feeling Callie's hot breath against her neck as she panted and wheezed, she could have cared less about going anywhere. Ever again. For the rest of her life.

When her body, mind, and soul finally came back to Earth, Callie breathed deeply and, finding just enough oxygen in her lungs, she lackadaisically kissed along Arizona's jawline, loving the sensation of the full weight of her body pressing her into the sand.

Smugly grinning against Callie's shoulder, a sluggish laugh left Arizona's chest, her body jumping as another aftershock of her erotic release assaulted her core.

"What?" Callie husked, listening to Arizona chuckle against her flesh.

Finding just enough energy to lift her head from Callie's sweaty skin, Arizona smiled down at her as she ran a reverent index finger against the bridge of her nose. "I was just thinking that. . .you were right," she flirtatiously admitted. "You once predicted that we'd be amazing at the beach together. Alone. With no kids," she teased of the distant memory as she playfully kissed at her wife's flushed cheeks and nose. "And after that, I'm pretty sure we can safely say that you, my love, were correct."

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><p>The following morning, Arizona woke to the inebriating aroma of fresh coffee brewing somewhere nearby mixed with salty air, a heavy mist from the waves spraying into the open windows and deck doors, filling her senses. Lazily pushing herself up to sit on the mattress, she quickly realized she was unfortunately alone and, glancing around, the crashing sound of waves ramming against the beach soon gave way to the muffled sound of her wife's voice.<p>

Arizona smiled, though her brow furrowed as she attempted to discern exactly what Callie was singing and, sliding to the edge of the bed, she donned her prosthesis before throwing on a tank top, not even thinking twice about threading her legs into anything but a pair of panties after the night they'd just shared.

With a goofy grin on her face at the delicious memory, she quietly made her way onto the deck and, finally finding what - _whom_ - she was looking for, Arizona's smile widened ever more when she spotted Callie seated on a bamboo rattan sectional sofa. Long brunette hair was thrown up into an unruly bun atop her head, tiny earbuds in her ears as she quietly jammed to whatever music was now playing from her phone.

Taking a moment to simply admire her wife from behind, Arizona then closed the distance between them, leaning over the back of the sofa to press her lips against the smooth skin at the back of her lover's neck. Callie initially jumped at the sensation but, soon, her eyes fell shut, her head falling forward to allow her wife greater access to the sensitive skin her lips were currently worshiping.

"Mmmm. . ." Callie hummed when she felt a moist tongue peek out to lick beneath her earlobe. "Good morning to you, too," she teased. Pulling the buds from her ears, she chuckled softly, briefly shying away from those heated lips when they found a highly ticklish spot that caused a shiver to tingle its way down her spine.

"Mmm, morning," Arizona hummed, completely undeterred by her wife's attempted escape. "Your skin is still so soft, Calliope. So smooth. So delicious. Even after all these years," she mused, her lips following a path from Callie's neck to her shoulder and then back again to nip and suck at the prominence of her jaw.

With a laugh, Callie finally turned her head, her right hand coming across her own body so she could lightly brush her thumb over Arizona's sun kissed cheek. She momentarily held her wife's capricious gaze but, soon leaning in, she pressed her lips to the perfect pink ones in front of her, a satisfied sigh falling from both women's mouths as they shared a languid kiss that both were content to allow the privilege of going on forever.

After several long moments of a slow but, passionate, make out, Arizona leaned back, gently nuzzling her nose against Callie's ear. "I could seriously kiss you forever," she whispered before making her way around the back of the sofa to sit next to her wife with an exaggerated flop. "So, what's happening out here that's so important that I was forced to wake up alone this morning in that giant bed?" she asked, motioning back into the bungalow as she stretched her legs out on the cushions, her head coming to rest on Callie's lap.

With a sly grin, Callie glanced down at the blue eyes that were currently staring up at her, the mirth and frivolity she found swirling around in their cerulean depths, causing her heart to swell. "I was just checking on our flights," she replied, closing her music app and wrapping the cord of her ear buds around the phone. "You still okay with visiting my parents?"

"Of course, Calliope," Arizona insisted without a moment's hesitation. "Is everything all set?" she then asked, slightly turning her head as she surreptitiously lifted Callie's tank top in order to place hot, open mouthed kisses against the skin of a caramel abdomen.

Suddenly losing her train of thought, Callie's eyes fell shut, her hands moving to tangle into disheveled blonde locks, her fingertips massaging Arizona's scalp as the smaller woman continued her enthusiastic assault on satiny skin and, when she felt a wet tongue dip its way into her belly button, she moaned aloud, her hips slightly pressing upward against the side of her wife's head. "God that feels good," Callie husked, losing herself in the sensations her wife's mouth was producing, combined with the sounds of the lapping water of the beach in front of them and the warm island breeze against her exposed skin.

She was absolutely in paradise; she couldn't remember the last time she and her wife had made love every night for an entire week and, as she thought about their _adventures_ from the night before, she shook her head as a shiver caused goose bumps to cover her skin. "Do you have any idea what you do to me?" she groaned, though her eyes quickly snapped open when she felt Arizona lower the material of her shirt back down to cover her skin, the exploration of her lips, no more.

"Why, yes. Yes, I do know what I do you, Calliope. But, you digress," Arizona teased, jovially seductive blue eyes once again staring back up into clearly aroused chocolate brown. "You were supposed to be telling me if our flights are confirmed. Remember?"

Playfully narrowing her eyes at her wife's sultry teasing, Callie quickly leaned down to peck at grinning lips before straightening herself back up. "Yes, everything's all set," she confirmed before brushing her hand through Arizona's hair. "And, we've got plenty of time before we have to leave, soooo. . .you know what that means, right?" she connivingly asked with a salacious gleam in her eyes.

Pursing her lips as she coyly glared at her wife, Arizona quickly changed her position, moving so that she was now sitting across Callie's lap, her hands wasting no time in tugging her wife's shirt over her head. "Yes, Calliope. I'm aware," she playfully rasped, her lips once again beginning to molest tanned skin, this time attacking the sensitive flesh covering Callie's clavicle.

Callie smiled, her head falling back against the sofa, her breath hitching when she felt a roaming hand make its way to cup the weight of an unrestrained breast. "So glad," she teased, her eyes becoming heavily lidded with arousal.

Pinching a rapidly hardening peak between her thumb and forefinger, Arizona blazed a trail of hot kisses down Callie's sternum as she carefully moved to straddle her wife's lap. "I don't know what's gotten into me this week, Calliope," she huskily reflected, dragging her lips upward to then nip at the shell of her wife's ear. "I just can't get enough of you."

"Mmmhmm," Callie managed to get out, her mouth then falling agape when Arizona's tongue expertly lapped at one nipple, the other being tugged on and tweaked by deft fingers. "I-I'm yours, Arizona. All yours. A-and you can have me. You can _take_ me. . .any time you want."

"How about right now?" Arizona slyly asked, her right hand slowly sliding down Callie's abdomen to tease at the waistband of pink boy shorts.

"Oh, yeah," Callie remarked, her hands grasping at Arizona's hips when one long middle finger lightly circled her already throbbing bundle of nerves. "Mmm, just like that, baby. _Soft_. . .and _slow_."

Pulling back from Callie's chest, Arizona straightened up, insidious blue eyes staring into aroused chocolate brown as she did exactly what her wife asked, two adept fingers now drawing deliberately subdued, but steady circles over an engorged nub. "You're so sexy, Calliope. You. . ."

The sudden ringing of Callie's phone that still lay next to them on the sofa suddenly interrupted Arizona's statement, both women jumping at the unwelcome intrusion.

"Let it ring," Arizona insisted, her eyes never once leaving the nearly obsidian ones of her wife.

Callie merely nodded, her brow furrowing in concentration, her eyes heavy with lust and desire and her mouth slightly agape. "Mmm. . .keep going. Just like that," she whispered as she pressed her center further into Arizona's hand, loving the sweet torture of the deliciously paced movements of her wife's miraculous fingers.

When the phone finally stopped ringing, Callie found herself better able to concentrate on what her wife was currently doing to her but, when the device started sounding once again, her eyes snapped open from the aroused daze she'd fallen victim to when she realized who the alert was from. "That-that's Olivia's ring tone," she breathlessly commented, biting her bottom lip when Arizona did nothing to desist her movements. "We-we have to answer it, sweetie. What if she needs something?"

Realizing the truth in her wife's question, Arizona sighed, pulling her hand from within the confines of her panties, and moving from her wife's lap, she chuckled softly as she watched the other woman quickly don her shirt in a desperate attempt to compose herself enough to field their daughter's call.

"You ready?" Arizona then asked, holding the phone out in front of them so that they were both visible on the screen.

"As I'll ever be," Callie relented with a slightly doleful smile. "As much as I love seeing their faces, sometimes I wish they'd just call. Or text," she grumbled with a roll of her eyes.

With a soft laugh at her wife's obvious sexual distress, Arizona tapped the accept button, both women now waiting for their middle child's face to appear on the screen.

"Hi, sweetheart."

"Hey, Liv." Both women greeted in unison when Olivia finally came into view.

"Hello, mothers," Olivia comically drawled, a sparkle present in her eyes that neither woman had seen in several months. "How's the _marvelous_ vacation I planned for the two of you going?" she asked with a wink.

Callie shook her head as Arizona rolled her eyes; the free-spirited, independent, and sometimes rebellious traits of a middle child, certainly held true for their own.

"This place is amazing, Olivia," Callie stated with a smirk. "Thank you for using _your mother's_ credit card to book it for us," she teased.

Olivia huffed, though the infectious smile that had been plastered on her face from the moment she appeared on the screen never faltered.

"So, what's up with you?" Arizona suspiciously asked. "You seem awfully. . ._chipper_."

"Oh, I am. I'm just so, _so. . ._" Olivia quickly began, though she trailed off with a dreamy look on her face. "It's just. . .I feel like everything finally makes sense, and it's like I now know that everything happens for a reason," she rambled, her voice wistful and full of fancy. "I think I may have gone a little crazy before, because. . .I don't want to be a doctor, and I have absolutely _no idea _why I ever said that I did. I mean, that-that was just. . .lunacy!" she continued as if she'd just experienced a miraculous epiphany and suddenly after twenty years of life, everything was finally falling into place.

Callie and Arizona shared a confused glance, their daughter's tangential speech becoming more and more difficult to keep up with. "Well, that's good, sweetheart. We. . ."

"Good?" Olivia incredulously contended. "Oh, Mami. It's more than just _good_. It's _great_!" she insisted with a beaming grin. "It's like after all this time, I finally realized that it's okay to just be. . ._me_. It's okay for me to be who I am and to do what I want. It's okay for me to need art a-a-and romance, because no matter what, you both will still love me. Sofia and Sam will still love me," she chattered on, though her attention quickly darted to the left as she spoke to someone off screen.

Callie and Arizona watched with their eyes wide and mouths agape as Olivia spoke Italian to the unnamed stranger who never quite came into view.

"Okay, moms, I hate to run, but I have plans this evening, and I _really_ don't want to be late," Olivia stated once her attention turned back to her clearly baffled mothers. "I love you. Bye."

And then, she was gone, leaving Callie and Arizona at a complete loss for words, their minds reeling as they desperately tried to make sense of any bit of what Olivia had just said and, after several long moments of complete silence, Callie's head shot up, her eyes wide with shock. "Oh, shit," she muttered, her hands coming to cover her face as she shook her head back and forth.

"What? What's the matter?" Arizona asked, completely perplexed by Olivia and now Callie's behavior.

When Callie didn't respond, Arizona reached out, prying her wife's hands from in front of her face. "What is it, Calliope? What the hell is going on?"

Closing her eyes as she went back over everything Olivia had just said, Callie then reopened them as she stared at her rightfully oblivious wife. "I. . .I think she's found someone. I think our little girl is in love."

"No," Arizona instantly gasped, quickly standing from her seat as if removing herself from Callie's side could remove her from this entire situation, altogether. "No, Callie. No, no, no," she argued, shaking her head back and forth with every word, her index finger comically waving back and forth as she spoke. "Not another one. I-I-I. . .I can't take another one of them deciding to get married or-or-or to run off to college. Not right now, Calliope. Not yet."

Callie nodded her head, standing from her seat to step in front of her wife. "It's just a hunch, Arizona. I have no proof or evidence or whatever. We have no idea if what I'm thinking is actually true," she tried to rationalize, wholeheartedly remiss to allow the bizarre and perplexing conversation they'd just experienced to set them back after the week they had just shared and the progress they had made. "We'll just play this by ear, okay? So, no freaking out. No shutting down. No. . ."

"Damn it, Callie," Arizona interrupted, her eyes wide as her mind raced. "I-I-I think you're right. I think both of our little girls are in love."

* * *

><p>Six hours later, Callie navigated their rental SUV from Miami International Airport toward her childhood home, chuckling softly as she listened to Arizona purposefully singing a song's lyrics to her from her position in the passenger seat. "<em>Hey pretty baby with the high heels on." <em>Arizona's eyebrows bounced upward in perfect time with the pulsing beat. "_You give me fever like I've never, ever known. You're just a product of loveliness. I like the groove of your walk, your talk, your dress. . ._"

"You're pretty fond of my throwback playlist, huh?" Callie mused over the rhythm of the music, her eyes flicking from the road ahead to watch Arizona shimmying and car dancing and singing in the seat next to her.

Arizona only winked, a sexy smirk covering her face as she suggestively wagged her eyebrows up and down. "_The way you make me feel_. . ."

"_The way you make me feel_. . ." Callie echoed, her own shoulders beginning to pop back and forth in time with the beat.

"_You really turn me on_."

_"You really turn me on_."

"_You knock me off my feet. My lonely days are gone_," they sang in unison before dissolving into a round of giddy laughter.

As the music played on and Callie continued to sing, Arizona took a moment to stare at her wife's profile, exhaling a contented sigh as she thought about the events of their day.

After getting over the initial shock of the endless possibilities surrounding Olivia's cryptic revelation - thanks to a little help from Callie and the three consecutive orgasms she'd graciously bestowed upon her - they spent the remainder of their time in Key West, lounging on the beach, making love in the outdoor shower and, perhaps more appropriately, one more time in the enormous king size bed. Every moment spent together further hinged them together, invigorating them and renewing their relationship in ways they didn't even realize they'd begun to neglect.

"I've had so much fun this week, Calliope," Arizona stated after a few moments of silent contemplation, her left hand moving to lovingly rest against her thigh. "Thank you," she then added, squeezing Callie's leg as she leaned over the center console to peck at a tanned cheek.

Reveling in the sensation of Arizona's lips against her skin, albeit short lived, Callie once again glanced at her wife, her bottom lip held tightly between her teeth as she looked back toward the road. "And, thank you," she replied, removing one hand from the steering wheel to grasp Arizona's before bringing it to her lips. "This vacation has been nothing short of amazing," she honestly stated as she maneuvered the vehicle up the long driveway leading to her parents' home.

Arizona smiled, nodding her head in agreement and, as Callie parked the car in front of the long row of garage doors, Arizona straightened in her seat, pulling the visor down to check her appearance in the lighted mirror.

Watching as her wife scrutinized herself in the mirrored glass, Callie pulled the key from the ignition, her eyes never leaving Arizona's face. "You look beautiful, honey," she commented as Arizona tucked sun lightened blonde hair behind one ear. "Something about _you_ and a _tan_. . .mmm. . ." she hummed with a rueful shake of her head. "Does something to me."

Arizona laughed at her wife's remark, and with a shy roll of her eyes, she opened the door to step out of the car. Doing the same, Callie followed behind, quickly lacing her fingers through Arizona's as they made their way toward the set of oversized solid Mahogany doors that led into the foyer of her parents' home. "You don't think they'll be pissed, do you? I mean, with us just showing up?" she apprehensively asked, suddenly nervous that she hadn't called ahead.

"Of course not, Calliope," Arizona replied as she reached forward to ring the bell. "You're parents are always telling us to come visit any time we want."

Callie nodded in response, her demeanor becoming more and more anxious with every passing second that someone didn't open the door. "Maybe they aren't home. This was a silly surprise. I. . ."

But, before Callie could finish, the front door slowly opened, an uneasily smiling Lucia Torres appearing in the crack the now opened door made. "Mija! Arizona! Wh-what are you doing here?" she hesitantly asked.

Callie's eyes narrowed at her mother's greeting; they had repaired their relationship years before after Olivia's birth, but right now, she felt the same crestfallen tingle surge down her spine that she had when her mother chose to walk away from her the night before her wedding. "Arizona and I presented at an orthopedics conference in Key West earlier this week," Callie informed, feeling her wife's hand tighten around her own. "We thought we'd spend a couple days here before heading back to Seattle. We, uh. . .we wanted to surprise you.

Lucia's distracted smile finally become slightly more sincere, though her eyes glistened with an emotion Callie couldn't quite place.

Was it relief? Palliation? Reprieve?

She couldn't tell.

"Come in, ladies. Come in," the elderly woman then stated, further opening the door to allow her daughter and daughter-in-law entrance. "It's _so_ good to see you."

When Lucia reached upward to embrace her daughter, Callie leaned forward to hold her mother in her arms before pulling away so that Arizona could do the same. "Where's daddy?" Callie then asked, nodding her head when her mother motioned in the direction of the formal living room.

Once again taking Arizona's hand into her own, Callie defiantly tried to fend off the suffocating uncertainty she was now feeling but, stepping into the formal living room with her wife slightly behind her, she glanced toward the chair where her father usually sat, her body halting in its forward progress when she saw him, her heart beginning to race as it thundered mightily in her ears.

Callie Torres had been a doctor for thirty years, and in that time, she'd treated thousands of patients but, as she stood frozen in her tracks, brown eyes staring at the man she loved and respected most in the world, it didn't take the trained eye of a professional to realize what was going on.

In fact, it only took the eye of a loving daughter to realize that her entire world was soon about to change.

* * *

><p><strong>AN2: <strong>Just one more chapter after this before an all-new update!


	12. Chapter 12

**Title**: Perfectly Imperfect

**Author**: HandsThatHeal

**Pairing**: Callie/Arizona

**Rating**: M/NC-17

**Summary**: Big changes bring big upheaval as Callie and Arizona find themselves alone for the first time in years. Will they be able to happily adapt to this new life without their children under their roof or will they now find that they have nothing in common in the absence of the ties that bound them together for so many years? Sequel to _Clarity_.

**Disclaimer**: All television shows, books, movies, songs, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work and the characters, events, and settings thereof are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context and are not intended to be libelous, defamatory, or in any way factual.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter Twelve<strong>_

* * *

><p>"What the Hell, Mom?" Callie angrily spat, her tormented mind completely unable to process what she'd just witnessed.<p>

After entering the formal living room and spotting her father seated in his chair, Callie had only been able to look at him for the briefest of moments; he was sleeping, but it was quite clear that his health was. . .failing.

And rapidly.

By her estimation, he had lost at least thirty pounds since she'd seen him at Sam's high school graduation five months before; his face was gaunt and his pallor a sickly grey, and she just couldn't stand to look at him. Completely in shock, Callie had quickly turned from the sight, her tearful brown eyes first finding Arizona who swallowed hard as the realization of her father-in-law's declining state of health became quite clear to her, as well.

With wide brown eyes forcing themselves past the stormy blue ones of the woman she loved, Callie then glanced toward her mother in search of the answers to all of the questions that were swarming around in her head. Lucia only stood stock still in the doorway, silent tears beginning to brim in her eyes and, unable to remain stationary for a moment longer, Callie dropped Arizona's hand, storming back out of the room.

"What were you going to do, mother? Just sit by and let him die?" Callie angrily asked from where she now paced from one side of her parents' kitchen to the other. "W-were you just going to watch him fade away, and then _maybe_ call me once he was already dead?!"

"I wanted to tell you, mija. I really did, but your father . . ."

"He what, mom?!" Callie impatiently interrupted, desperately trying to make sense of such overwhelming news. "He held you at gunpoint? He-he-he threatened your life if you spoke to me? I can't believe you didn't call! Would you have even informed me of the _fucking_ funeral?"

"Calliope!"

"Mija!"

"What?!" Callie incredulously shouted, causing the other two women in the room to jump back at the vehemence in her voice.

Stepping closer to her wife, Arizona tentatively reached for Callie's hand, desperately wanting to be the support - the rock - she needed her to be. "Just take a moment, honey," she tried to soothe, knowing after so many years that there was a fine line between being supportive of her wife and pushing too hard. "Let's just talk this through. Okay? Because yelling at your mom isn't going to help anything."

Seeing nothing but empathy and support in her wife's cerulean eyes, Callie then glanced back at her mom, utter devastation now staring back at her from identical brown eyes that matched her own.

Doing as Arizona suggested, Calling took a moment, puffing out an exaggerated breath in an attempt to compose herself. "I. . .Im sorry, mom, but please, help me understand. Why wouldn't you tell me?" she softly beseeched, her voice wavering with the emotion of unshed tears. "Why wouldn't you call to let me know? I'm a doctor, for God's sake. I could have. . ."

"Your father didn't want you to know, mija. You know how stubborn he is. He. . ."

"Well, that's just asinine, mother!" Callie rapidly spat, her voice once again rising in volume and in pitch as she was wholly unable to calm her epically frazzled nerves. "You should have called. We could have gotten the best doctors in the country. We could have. . ."

"There's nothing that can be done, Calliope," Lucia breathed out in order to interrupt her daughter's rant. "There's nothing. . ."

"What do you mean there's _NOTHING_ that can be done? There's always _SOMETHING_ that can be done," Callie quickly argued.

Shaking her head, Lucia slowly took a seat on one of the stools surrounding the kitchen island. "He doesn't _want_ to do anything," she softly informed, a shaking hand reaching up to brush across her own forehead. "It's his heart. Too many years of high cholesterol and now coronary artery disease. He has so many blockages. He just wants to live out the rest of his life without surgery and without being in a hospital hooked up to tubes and wires. He needs. . ."

"What he _needs_ is bypass surgery! He needs to stop being stubborn and let me call Cristina or-or-or Teddy. . ." Callie paused, quickly exiting the room to grab her purse from the foyer. "Arizona, call Teddy," she anxiously insisted once she returned, shoving her wife's bag into her hands. "You call Teddy, and I'll call Cristina. We can fix this. It's simple, really. . ."

Taking her phone, Arizona's heart broke at the shear desperation she saw written on her wife's face, unimaginable pain resonating from the tremble in her voice. "Calliope, I. . ."

"Please, Arizona. Just. . .just do it. _Please_."

"He doesn't want your help, mija," Lucia interrupted, tired eyes once again welling with tears at the pain she saw radiating from her daughter's every feature. "He knew this is what you would want to do - that you would kill yourself trying to help him. He doesn't want anyone's help, though. He just wants to go. . .in peace."

Frantically shaking her head, large tears dripped down Callie's face as a shaking hand desperately searched through the contacts on her phone. "Well, I really don't care about what he wants, mother! He's being stupid! Stubborn and selfish, and that's just. . .it's _not_ acceptable!"

"Calliope. . ."

Spinning around, Callie's eyes immediately went wide when she spotted her father standing in the archway between the dining room and kitchen; the sight of him with his once perfectly tailored clothing now hanging from his skeletal form caused her stomach to painfully twist and churn as her heart deafeningly pounded in her ears.

She couldn't take this. She couldn't look at him. She was angry and hurt, and the vision of her father in his emaciated form literally made her want to throw up.

"I. . .I. . ." Callie trailed off, completely at a loss for words and, shaking her head as unabashed tears began to stream down her face, she hastily turned on her heel to rush out of the room, the strangled sob that emanated from deep within her soul, echoing around the kitchen and permeating the hearts of those who remained.

* * *

><p>With the afternoon breeze whipping her hair around her face, Arizona exited her in-law's home, pausing on the lanai to momentarily take in her surroundings. Glancing to her left and then to her right in search of her heartbroken wife, she to pace the deck when she found her nowhere. Callie had run out of the kitchen just five minutes before, so she couldn't have gone far but, the fact that she was missing and off somewhere suffering alone, tore at Arizona's already aching heart.<p>

With a heavy sigh, Arizona then glanced down at the phone she still held in her hand, her thumb quickly tapping against the screen and, bringing it to her ear, she looked out ahead of her, stormy blue eyes squinting into the horizon. Pausing in her anxious circuit, she strained her eyes to see further down the beach.

Finally discovering her wife's form that manifested as a mere speck sitting in the sand so far down the beach, Arizona slowly pulled the phone from her ear. Sighing as she ended the call, she then made her way down the porch steps and into the white sand of the Torres Estate's private beach, her eyes never leaving the seated form of the woman she loved. As Callie's body became more life size as she drew closer with each passing step, Arizona carefully approached her from behind, a crooked smile somehow making its way to her face.

Callie sat with her bottom in the sand, her knees bent over that invisible line between where wet sand met dry, her toes buried deeply into the clumpy sand that had been saturated by the rising tide only moments ago.

Stepping up next to her wife, Arizona remembered the first time she'd seen Callie sitting like this; they were on their first family vacation to the beach when Sofia was five and Olivia was comfortably nestled within Callie's womb. Callie had later explained that there was just something about the "_tickly, gripply" _sensation of the wet sand surrounding her feet that she'd always found comforting, the contrast in textures of soggy versus arid sand, a curious contradiction.

"All three of the kids like to sit in the sand like this, too," Arizona softly mused, taking a seat next to her wife and removing her right shoe so she could dig her own toes into the sand. "They're beach bums, just like you."

Callie remained silent at her wife's side, her arms encircling her flexed knees as she aimlessly stared out into the ocean, the increased number of clouds she could see, heralding an approaching storm.

Following Callie's line of vision, Arizona watched as the clouds began to thicken as they morphed into a darker shade of grey and, glancing back at her wife, she reached out to tentatively run the palm of her hand up and down the length of Callie's tense back, the blowing wind picking up and causing brunette hair to whirl around her tear stained face.

"I. . .I just. . ." Callie trailed off, her eyes falling shut as she shook her head.

Arizona swallowed hard, gently gathering Callie's hair into a fist at the back of her neck as she leaned over to lightly brush her lips against a moist cheek. "Talk to me, Calliope," she softly beseeched against her wife's ear.

Turning slightly, sorrowful brown eyes locked with worried blue and, completely unable to hold herself upright for a moment more, Callie collapsed into her wife, Arizona's arms immediately wrapping around her to hold her close. "I. . .I. . .I can't. I'm. . ."

"It's okay, honey," Arizona tried to soothe as she slowly ran her fingers through the thick locks of hair at the back of Callie's head, her arms completely surrounding the sobbing woman's quaking form.

Arizona couldn't remember the last time she'd seen her wife cry this hard. The past few weeks had been tough ones, for sure, but this. . .this outpouring of grief from her wife was something she'd rarely witnessed in all the years they'd been together. "Just. . .cry," she whispered into Callie's ear, her arms tightening around her wife, hoping to somehow be her life raft upon a tumultuous sea.

Gently rocking their joined forms back and forth with a calming sway, Arizona too began to cry, the despairing sound of Callie's choked sorrow combined with the tremble of her entire body against her own, creating an emotional pain deep within her that engulfed her mind, tore at her heart, and shredded her soul. "I'm here, Calliope. I've got you," she soothingly insisted, unsure of what else to say. "I'm here. . .and we're going to get through this. Together."

* * *

><p>Later that night, Callie awoke with a start, her sleep addled mind remiss to orient her to her exact location. Her senses seemed all out of whack; she lay cocooned in the familiar scents of her adolescence, though an arm she could only associate with the greater part of her adult life was wrapped intimately around her torso.<p>

Curiously glancing around to take in her surroundings lit only by the silvery glow of the waning crescent moon, Callie sighed once her brain began to function more efficiently as she laced her fingers through the ones draped over her side. Scooting backward and burrowing herself further into the safety of Arizona's body, she inhaled deeply, noting that the fabric softener used to launder the sheets and duvet she lay beneath was exactly the same even after living away from this home for nearly forty years.

With her olfactory memory on high alert, Callie thought back to her childhood, remembering how huge she used to believe this house to be. At the time, it had seemed so big and really quite unnecessary but, as she lay there thinking, she realized that never before had she been so happy about the square footage of the home; it was massive and, today she was thankful for that, as its sheer size had aided her in successfully evading her father for the remainder of the day.

She just couldn't look at her dad right now. She couldn't see him like. . ._that_. She needed time to gather her thoughts in order to make some sort of rational sense of all of this, a decision concerning what she was going to do.

Drawing in another deep breath, she moved to roll onto her back, but the buzzing of her iPhone quickly caught her attention and, hastily grabbing at the device that lay on the nightstand, she noted the time to be 12:32am and the caller to be her son.

With her now heart racing in her chest at the late hour of the call, Callie quickly sat up on the mattress, her thumbs tapping the screen to hastily accept the call. "Sam?" she immediately answered, her voice thick with sleep and sudden anxiety mixed with the torrent of tears she'd cried on and off throughout that day.

The distressed tone in her wife's voice instantly penetrated Arizona's exhausted mind, she too bolting upright in the bed. "What? What's the matter?" she quickly asked, squinting and then trying to open her tired eyes.

"Sam? Honey, what's wrong?" Callie nervously asked, her own eyes wide with fear.

"_Nothing's wrong_," came his confused reply. "_Oh, shi. . .crap! I'm sorry. I forgot you and mom are still in Florida_."

Breathing a sigh of relief, Callie's eyes fell shut as she visibly deflated, the softened look in her eyes when she opened them, assuring Arizona that their youngest child was indeed okay.

"_It's late. I'll let you go back to sleep_," Sam respectfully stated.

"No, bud. It's okay," Callie softly acquiesced, feeling her heart rate slowly return to a more natural rhythm. "What's up?"

Arizona anxiously watched Callie as she listened to whatever their son was saying, the smile that began to tug at the edges of Callie's lips, helping to calm her frazzled nerves.

"Wait, wait! Just a sec," Callie suddenly interrupted, halting their son's words. "Let me put you on speaker so momma can hear, too," she stated, lowering the phone to rest atop the duvet as she and Arizona sat facing each other in the center of the bed.

"Hey, sweetheart," Arizona greeted with a smile as she wiped the sleep from the corner of her eye. "We're both here, now. Go ahead."

"_Sorry to wake you_," Sam once again apologized. "_I totally forgot about the time change_, _but I just got my grades back on my first biology and chemistry exams_."

"_AND_. . .?" Arizona questioningly guided, her eyes anxiously locked with those of her wife.

Both women listened to the low timbre of Sam's chuckle, Arizona rolling her eyes at the knowing smirk on her wife's face. "_95 on the chem test, and 98 on bio_," he finally replied.

Instantly beginning to bounce up and down on the mattress, Arizona rapidly clapped her hands together, barely resisting the urge to loudly squeal with pride at their son's success.

"That's amazing, Sam," Callie proudly boasted, feeling a pound or two of the weight that was burdening her heart slowly chip away as she watched the happiness ooze from her wife's every poor. "Momma's doing a happy dance in the middle of the bed right now," she informed with a soft chuckle. "Don't be surprised when you hear loud thud. That will be her, falling off the bed."

"We're so proud of you," Arizona happily stated, playfully swatting at her wife's arm before reaching out to take her hand.

"_Thanks, moms_," Sam replied, the smile on his face evident from the tone in his voice. "_But, umm. . .well. . .there's something else_. . ."

With their excitement quickly diminishing at the seriousness that emerged in Sam's tone, both women sighed, their ecstatic faces falling as they prepared themselves for the very worst.

"What is it, Samuel?" Callie asked, her own voice now less jovial and more demur as she said his full name.

The sound of the young man clearing his throat penetrated the room, a sure sign of his newfound apprehension. "_I've been thinking about being. . .a walk-on. For the football team. Next season_."

The sound of someone calling Sam's name was the next thing Callie and Arizona heard before Sam once again spoke. "_I, umm. . .I gotta go, but I'll call you again tomorrow. Okay?" _he nervously asked before continuing to ramble on. _"And, will you tell abuela and abuelo about my grades for me. I think abuelo was worried I'd get to college and become a slacker or a delinquent or something_. _I think he said something about not being a 'hoodwink'_," he added with a laugh.

Callie's face instantly fell at the mention of Sam's abuelo, the comment about the possibility of him playing NCAA football in the Pac-12 Conference completely leaving her mind as her heart once again morphed into a solid brick at the thought of having to explain to Sam and his sisters that their beloved grandfather was gravely ill.

Catching Callie's eyes and knowing exactly what she was thinking, Arizona squeezed her hand more firmly within her own, hoping to provide some sort of comfort and support to her obviously struggling wife.

"Yeah, buddy. We'll tell them," Arizona softly stated. "But this conversation isn't over, young man. Do you hear me?" she warningly questioned, her tired cerulean eyes never once leaving the distraught ones of her wife.

"Yes, mom. I hear you," Sam begrudgingly replied.

With a heavy sigh, Arizona shook her head; these kids were seriously going to be the death of her but, at this point in time, Sam playing football for the University of Washington Huskies really was the least of their worries. "Go. Have fun," she finally relented, knowing she would be unable to stop him even if she tried. "We love you, sweetheart, and we _will_ talk about this again tomorrow."

"_Thanks, mom. Love you, too_."

"Please be careful, Sam," Callie quickly added, once again finding her voice. "Don't be a _delinquent _or a _hoodwink_."

Sam laughed into the phone at his mother's remark, his nerves seeming to dissipate somewhat. "_I'll be careful. I promise._"

With that, the line went dead and, taking Callie's phone into her hand, Arizona ended the call before reaching up to brush a stray tear from a tanned cheek.

"Oh God, Arizona. What are we going to do?" Callie softly asked with a shake of her head. "How are we going to tell them about my dad?"

* * *

><p><em><strong>(Flashback: Eighteen Years Ago)<strong>_

_With the sound of a newborn's cry permeating her exhausted mind, Arizona slowly opened her eyes, softly clearing her throat as she glanced around the room. Not finding the source of the sound to her right, she then dragged her attention to the left hand corner of the room, tired blue eyes twinkling with delight when they landed on two of her four favorite people in the entire world. _

_Taking a few silent moments to simply watch, Arizona smiled as she listened to Callie softly murmur to the infant who lay swaddled in her arms, his whimpers coming to a halt as she adjusted the blue beanie snuggly adorning his tiny little head. _

_"Today starts your chapter one, baby boy. This is the beginning of your sweet little story, and your momma and I are going to make sure that all the pages of all the chapters of your life are filled with love and happiness, laughter and smiles. . ."_

_"Hugs and kisses."_

_Glancing up from where he eyes were solely focused on the tiny human in her arms, Callie smiled softly when she saw exhausted, but shimmering azure eyes gazing back at her. "LOTS and LOTS of hugs and kisses," she repeated, her attention never straying from Arizona as she stood from her seat to make her way toward her hospital bed. _

_Bending at her waist with the baby protectively held in her arms, Callie pressed a gentle kiss against pink lips. "Hey, pretty lady," she greeted, allowing her lips to linger against Arizona's skin. "How you feeling? Good nap?" she asked before carefully placing the now dozing baby into her wife's expectant arms._

_Only nodding as she looked down at their son, Arizona found herself mesmerized by his tiny, angelic face; his skin tone was a shade darker than either of his sisters and closer to Callie's after spending time in the sun, his eyes, judging from the brief time she'd seen them open after his birth, were the darkest chocolate brown she'd ever seen. In short, the newest addition to their family was perfect; he was miraculous and breathtakingly stunning just like his sisters, and Arizona could already feel the slightest tug at her heart at the connection she felt toward this little boy after only eight hours of meeting him. _

_"He's amazing, Calliope," Arizona reverently spoke, never taking her eyes off the tiny bundle she knew she would forever be willing to protect with her life. _

_With a contented sigh, Callie gently sat next to her wife on the hospital bed, Arizona scooting slightly to allow more room. "You're amazing," Callie honestly spoke, her own eyes glistening with unshed tears of love and of pride, and an overwhelming happiness she'd never before experienced in such a way. She loved their daughters with her whole heart, but there was just something about adding this precious little boy to their already perfect family that made her life complete. _

_Arizona smiled as Callie kissed her temple, leaning the weight of her body into her wife's front as Callie wrapped her arm around her in an attempt to get more comfortable on the tiny bed. "I hurt in places I didn't even know existed," Arizona softly mused, grimacing as she shifted slightly in her wife's embrace. _

_Callie squeezed her wife's shoulder in silent support, her own experience with childbirth much different than Arizona's; she had never actually endured a natural birth, both Sofia and Olivia forced to be delivered by emergency cesarean. "Want me to get the nurse?" she asked, her left hand brushing up and down the hospital gown covering her wife's shoulder. "See if Dr. Roberts ordered anything for pain?"_

_Arizona opened her mouth to respond but, before she could speak, a gentle knock on the door interrupted her answer. _

_Carefully removing herself from the bed, Callie looked to her wife for permission and, receiving a silent nod, she made her way to the large wooden door to allow their visitor entrance. Reaching for the knob, she began to turn it but, before she could, the door was impatiently shoved open just a crack, the bald head and piercing blue eyes of Carlos Torres peeking their way through. _

_"Daddy!" Callie happily greeted, her tone ecstatic, but deliberately guarded in an attempt to keep from waking their sleeping son. _

_"Mija," Carlos replied, completely making his way through the door, his arms immediately encircling his daughter in an exuberant hug. "Your mother insisted on stopping in the gift shop, but I just couldn't wait a moment longer. So, where's my grandbaby? Abuelo needs some new baby hugs," he happily stated, bypassing his daughter to make his way further into the room. "Arizona, you're looking lovely, as always," he continued as he stepped up to her bed, his attention moving from her face to the bundle she held in her arms._

_"Hello, Carlos," Arizona greeted with a proud smile. "Thank you, even though I know you're lying," she joked, looking to her wife who now stood on the opposite side of her bed. "Would you like to hold your grandson?" she then asked, offering the baby to her anxiously awaiting father-in-law._

_With a gleam in his eyes, he reached down to attentively take the baby boy into his arms and, holding him with one large hand beneath his head and the other beneath his diapered bottom, Carlos stared down at the newest Robbins-Torres as if staring at the eighth wonder of the world. "Hello there, little man. Eres un hombre guapo, ¿no? Soy tu abuelo y posees un pedazo de mi corazón, al igual que sus madres y sus hermanas." _

_Returning to her seat next to Arizona, Callie's eyes filled with tears as she listened to her father softly speaking to their son, the gentleness and reverence with which he handled the tiny baby illustrating all the love and affection that only a grandfather could. Taking Arizona's hand, she then laced their fingers together, kissing the back of ivory knuckles as she watched her father carefully sit in the seat next to the bed. "He's pretty great, isn't he daddy?" Callie rhetorically asked, chuckling softly at the interaction between her father and son._

_"Indeed, he is, Calliope," Carlos replied, forcing his attention away from the little boy to regard his daughter and daughter-in-law. "What did you decide for a name?"_

_Clearing her throat, Callie glanced toward Arizona and, with a smile on her face, she shifted her weight on the bed. "It's umm. . .his name is Sam. Samuel Timothy Robbins-Torres," she revealed, searching her father's face for his reaction to the news._

_Holding his daughter's tearful gaze, a slight smile tugged at the corners of his lips, his face full of pride and honor at hearing his grandson's name spoken for the very first time. "You named him after my father?" Carlos asked, his heart swelling with gratitude. _

_"And you. . ." Callie softly added with a slight nod of her head. _

_The decision of their son's name had been easier than that of either of the girls; both Callie and Arizona insisted that they wanted their baby boy to have a strong name, one that had meaning and would honor two of the strongest men they knew. Timothy was Arizona's obvious choice, but Callie had initially been torn between using her father's first or middle name, finally deciding on the latter since Samuel was not only Carlos' middle name, but his father's first name, as well._

_"Samuel Timothy Robbins-Torres. . ." Carlos spoke, dragging his uncustomarily tearful eyes from his daughter's face to once again get lost in the vision of his only grandson. "That's a good, strong name, nieto. Perfect for a good, strong boy," he whispered before once again looking up. "Thank you, Calliope. Arizona. This is a great honor."_

_Callie nodded her head, holding Arizona close. "You're welcome, daddy," she replied, watching as Carlos stood from his seat to begin walking the room with the baby still held in his arms. _

_"So, Samuel. What shall we discuss? Football? Stocks and bonds? Or how about we just stick with how very much your Abuelo loves you. . ."_

* * *

><p>The following morning, Callie lay on her back on her side of the bed, her eyes trained upward as she watched flecks of light dance across the design of the tray ceiling. Taking a deep breath, she then rolled onto her side, taking a reverent moment to study the woman lying next to her. Arizona had been so great the day before, not pushing when she didn't want to talk; her mere presence was enough, her silent strength providing the stability Callie needed as she was assaulted with such a profound mix of conflicting emotions that she had no idea what to do. She was quite certain she wouldn't have been able to survive the day had Arizona not been there with her, at her side and holding her hand.<p>

Sighing softly, Callie placed a gentle kiss against the sensitive skin covering the prominence of Arizona's right clavicle before laying a whisper of a kiss against her slightly parted lips. Smiling when she heard a contented moan leave her wife's mouth, Callie kissed her chin and then her forehead before carefully removing herself from the bed.

Covering herself with a black satin robe that matched her pajamas and grabbing her oversized purse from where it lay on the dresser, Callie then wandered through the vastly familiar surroundings of her parents' house, her first stop the kitchen to grab a cup of freshly brewed coffee.

Taking a seat at the kitchen island, she pulled her iPad from her bag and, adding just the right amount of cream and sugar to her mug as she then placed her glasses on her nose while powering on the device.

"Good morning, Calliope."

Glancing behind her, Callie saw her mother entering the kitchen, fully dressed and ready for the day. "Good morning," she softly greeted, leaning forward on her stool to embrace her mother as she placed a gentle kiss against her cheek. "Umm. . .how. . .how's daddy this morning?" Callie hesitantly asked when she pulled away.

"He's. . ._okay_," Lucia simply replied as she rounded the island, apparently unwilling to further engage in this topic of conversation. "Breakfast?" she asked instead. "I could make _bollos_ or _magdalenas_. Or maybe just a fruit salad?"

Shaking her head as she took in the stress that was clouding her elderly mother's face, Callie reached across the bar to gently brush her finger tips against the back of the older women's hand. "Nothing, mom. I'm okay. You don't have to wait on me."

The movement of another person entering the kitchen caught Callie's attention before she could speak further, her body instantly reacting to her wife's presence no matter where they happened to be.

"Morning," Arizona said, stepping up behind her wife and running her hands over the smooth material covering her back.

Callie leaned back against Arizona's front, turning her head to press her lips against moist pink ones. "Morning," she replied, subconsciously holding her wife's hand for balance when she moved to her side in order to hop up onto the stool next to her.

"Good morning," Arizona greeted, her hand never leaving that of her wife. "Thank you," she continued when her mother-in-law immediately handed her a steaming cup of coffee.

"You're welcome," Lucia softly replied, turning on the oven to pre-heat. "What can I make you for breakfast, Arizona? Callie says nothing, but there has to be something you'd like," she stated with an unamused tone.

Arizona glanced between her wife and mother-in-law, a questioning look covering her face.

"Seriously, mom," Callie softly argued. "You don't have to cook for us. We're big girls. We can get something on our own."

"Calliope. . ." Lucia began, though her daughter would hear nothing of it.

"You have enough to worry about, mother," Callie added with a shake of her head. "So please, _please_ stop worrying about _me_."

Sitting back and witnessing the epic staring contest that mother and daughter were now engaged in, Arizona felt a sudden and strange sense of relief come over her. As she watched Lucia Torres threaten her daughter with her eyes, she bit her bottom lip in an attempt to stifle the fit of giggles that threatened to spill forth from her chest; she was happy to see that her mother-in-law still felt "motherly" toward her daughter even after all these years, and it made Arizona realize that maybe she had nothing to worry about where her own children were concerned. They were still her babies and forever would be just that.

"Fine, Calliope. Have it your way," Lucia finally relented as she turned off the oven. But unable to help herself, she lifted the coffee pot in proposition. "More coffee?" she asked.

With a slight smirk, Callie lifted her mug from the granite counter top, relenting as she held it up for her mother to fill. "Thank you," she softly stated.

Lucia only nodded as she replaced the carafe in the coffee maker. "I'm going to go check on your father," she then stated, wiping her hands on a small towel that lay draped over her shoulder. "He'd really like to talk to you today, mija," she offhandedly added as she left the room.

Looking after her mother as she walked away, Callie sighed before turning back to her iPad, her fingers immediately finding the home row keys to type something into the Google search engine.

"What are you looking for?" Arizona curiously asked, leaning closer to the device as she sipped from her mug.

With another sigh, Callie pushed up her glasses on the bridge of her nose, her eyes flicking between her wife and the screen. "I want to move my parents to Seattle," she simply stated, her eyes now solely trained on the airline flight search in front of her.

Leaning away from her wife's side to study her profile, Arizona's eyes narrowed as she considered her words but, before she could gather her thoughts into a complete sentence, Callie once again spoke. "I mean, the kids have all moved out and, even if they were at home, we'd still have room. I don't want my mom to have to care for my dad on her own. I want to help, and I think the only way to be able to do that is to move them in with us."

"Callie. . ."

"I. . .I just hope that if he's with us, and the kids come to visit, he'll snap out of this defeatist attitude he's got going on and realize that his life is worth fighting for," she continued, her internal thoughts slipping unabashed from the barrier of her lips. "This. . .this just isn't him. He's always been a fighter, Arizona. He taught me that no matter what, you have to try, because you'll never know what could happen unless you do."

Nodding her head in understanding, Arizona reached out and, taking Callie's hands into her own, she gently tugged on them, forcing her wife to look in her direction. "I agree with you, Calliope, and I'm with you. One hundred percent. No matter what," she honestly began, her right thumb brushing over the band of white gold and diamonds encircling her wife's left ring finger. "If you want your parents to live with us, that's what we'll do. No questions asked. Or, if you want to take a leave of absence from work to care for your dad, we'll work that out, too," she earnestly added as she stood from her seat to stand between Callie's bent knees. "But, you need to talk to _him_, Calliope. You need to sit down and have a conversation because, if he's not strong enough, if he's not willing to fight for himself, then you can't do that for him, honey. This isn't your fight and, unless your dad is going to try to win his own battle, then there's just. . .unfortunately, there's nothing you can do."

With a slight shake of her head, Callie's bottom teeth jutted out to tug at her top lip in an attempt to fight the tears that had already begun to fall as she listened to her wife's heartfelt speech. "I. . .he's my dad, Arizona. I-I. . .I just can't imagine my life without him," she softly spoke, her body quickly succumbing to a fit of tears that quickly wracked her entire form.

Moving rapidly, Arizona caught the weight of her wife as she crumbled against her, her arms wrapping around the taller woman to hold her close. "It's okay, honey. I'm here. It's okay," she tried to soothe, knowing her words were most likely futile. "Just talk to him, Calliope," she then beseeched, her heart breaking all over again for her struggling wife. "Just talk to your dad and listen to what he has to say."

* * *

><p>After showering and readying herself for the day, Callie slowly descended the stairs of her parents' home, her emotions still a mess, but her demeanor slightly calmed. She'd spent the past hour discussing her options with Arizona, her wife's heartfelt words and fervent understanding, bolstering her nerve to speak with her dad.<p>

Stepping down from the final stair, Callie momentarily lingered in the foyer, her hands held firmly together as she closed her eyes and inhaled a long breath of air. Slowly forcing the air from her lungs via pursed lips, she then peeked her head into the formal living room, her heart once again beginning to race at the sight of her father, the anxiety she felt at watching him sleep, emotionally and mentally exhausting.

She just couldn't believe that this was happening but, more importantly, she couldn't believe that he'd chosen to not seek treatment and that he'd chosen to keep her in the dark; the fact that he'd made the decision not to tell her hurt most of all.

"Mija."

Her father's groggy voice, immediately pulled Callie from her silent reverie, her lips defying her true feelings as they curved up at their edges. "Daddy," she softly spoke before moving into the room to sit on the sofa across from his chair. "Umm. . .uh, how are you feeling?" she hesitantly asked, her posture erect as she sat on the very edge of the couch cushion.

Sitting up in his own chair, Carlos leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. "Calliope, I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I knew the moment you found out, you would. . ."

"I'd what, daddy?" Callie incredulously interrupted, completely unable to keep herself from doing so even though she'd promised Arizona and herself that she wouldn't lose her temper, that she wouldn't yell. "I'd want to take care of you? I'd want you to seek treatment? I'd find the best doctors in the world to care for you?"

"Yes, mija! All of those things!" Carlos retorted, his voice raised.

Quickly popping up from her chair, Callie hastily brought her hands up to the sides of her head, her fingertips harshly rubbing against her temples in a futile attempt to fend off the persistent headache and confusion she'd been experiencing since she'd arrived in Miami the day before. "Of course that's what I would have done, dad!" she shot back, her hands now firmly placed on her hips. "Because that's what you would have done for me if our roles were reversed. You would have convinced me to fight, to-to-to at least _try_ because if I didn't try to get better how would I ever know if it was possible or not?" she continued to argue, her legs acting on their own accord to carry her at an anxious pace back and forth from one side of the room to the other. "Those are your words, daddy! I'm not just spouting off bull shit! They're _your_ words!" she angrily repeated.

Slowly standing from his chair, Carlos closed the distance between himself and his irate daughter and, taking her hands into his own, he pulled her to sit next to him on the sofa.

Refusing to meet her father's gaze, Callie stared out in front of her, her eyes focused on the framed portrait of herself, Arizona, and their three children; the picture had been professionally taken on their last family vacation to Miami two years before and was now proudly hung above the mantle. Desperately trying to ignore the man seated beside her, she made a mental note to schedule an appointment with a photographer to take a new family photo when they were all together at Christmas.

"Mija, look at me."

Callie only shook her head, large tears escaping the confinement of her eyelids and bouncing onto her cheeks when she blinked.

"Calliope. . ."

"No, daddy," she softly cried, shaking her head. "No."

Closing his own eyes to gather his thoughts and emotions, Carlos then reached out with a shaking hand, the coolness of his palm meeting Callie's cheek as he gently forced her heard to turn in his direction. Allowing his hand to drop into his lap, Carlos softly smiled, his eyes full of empathy and concern in the presence of his daughter's distress. "I love you, Calliope. You have such a big heart, and you're right. I did teach you to be a fighter, but. . .life is to be _lived_ and not endured, mija," he quietly began though is voice was full of conviction. "I certainly don't wish any pain on you or your mother or anyone else in this family, but the time has come where I have to do what's best for me. It's time for me to see the beauty, the wonders of my life, and I. . .I can't do that if I'm stuck in a hospital bed hooked up to tubes and wires and beeping machines."

"Daddy. . ."

"Life is a journey, Calliope. A journey in which we get to choose our own path on a day by day basis. Every day we wake up is a new beginning. The first day of the rest of our lives and, ultimately, all of our individual paths eventually come to the same end. We all reach the same destination, and I'm almost there, mija. I'm. . ."

"No, dad. Don't say _it_," Callie argued, needing to distance herself from her father, though his hands on her forearm stopped her from moving.

"I'm dying, Calliope," he simply stated as if his words weren't currently shredding his daughter's heart.

Squeezing her eyes tightly shut, Callie's head dropped forward, her shoulders shaking with tears.

"Every morning as we face a new day, we have a very real choice to make, Calliope. Am I going to live this day to the fullest? Am I going to make the best I can out of what is before me and be happy? Or, am I going to waste the day feeling stressed and in denial of what is _actually_ happening to me?" he continued, his left arm snaking around his daughter's shuddering form to pull her close. "My days are very limited, mija. I don't want to waste any part of any one of them, and I certainly don't want to be in a hospital. For what? What kind of life is that?"

Wiping at her eyes, Callie nodded her head in understanding even though she in no way agreed. "Well, then I'll just move here," she quickly replied, hoping she could in some way change his mind. "If you're not going to fight this, if you're not going to get surgery or treatment or whatever, even though I totally disagree with that decision, I'll just. . I'll move here to be with you. I'll take a leave of absence, and I'll. . ."

"You'll go back to Seattle, mija," Carlos insisted, his tone mellow. "You'll get on a plane with your wife, and you'll fly home and continue living your life. Because that's what you deserve. You deserve to be happy, Calliope, and you could never be happy here in Miami with me while your heart is across the country in Seattle."

"Arizona can take leave, too," Callie quickly contended, having already anticipated every argument he might throw her way. She hadn't actually asked Arizona if she would be willing to take a leave of absence, but her wife was the chief of freaking surgery, for God's sake, of course she could take some time off. "Or-or-or you and mom could come to Seattle with us. I've already checked on flights, and we can all leave together at the end of the week," she informed, swallowing hard against the gigantic lump of emotion that had taken up residence in her throat. "We have plenty of room. You and mom would be comfortable, and Arizona and I will be there when and if you need us."

Carlos shook his head, smiling at his daughter's stubbornness. "I want to die at home, Calliope. Here, in Miami. Propped up with pillows in my own bed. Not in a strange bed in your home. Not in a home where you'll continue to live, not in the place where your children and eventually your grandchildren will visit you. No, mija. I won't do that to you."

Callie defiantly shook her head. "But, I _want_ to do it, daddy. I. . ."

Carlos sighed, brushing against the moisture that had gathered on his daughter's cheeks with the rough pads of his thumbs. "I want to die peacefully, Calliope. With no worries and no regrets, and I certainly don't want to die thinking that my daughter was forced to sacrifice her own family in order to care for me," he earnestly insisted. "I just. . .I want to be in my home with no tubes and no wires. I want to take one last breath and just. . .slip away."

* * *

><p><em><strong>(Callie's POV)<strong>_

_People often think that the death of an elderly parent will be easier to endure, because it's somewhat. . .predictable. They think if we have the time to envision our lives without our mom or our dad, we'll be ready when the time actually comes, but. . .I don't agree. _

_The death of my father, no matter how prepared I believe myself to be when that time comes, will prove life-shaking, an event for which I will never truly be ready. It will be a shattering experience, wounding my soul as the boundaries of my world are torn away, leaving me with the sensation of a lifetime of loss. _

_And this is just what I'm anticipating. At this point in time, my dad is still alive, but the mere thought of being without him has plunged me into such a sharp, painful sea of nostalgia, that I find myself lost in the memories of my childhood and everything my father represents. _

_For me, Carlos Torres is security. He's familiarity. He is protection. My father is my friend, and his disappearance from my life could never be easy. I need this man in my life, in some capacity, and the thought of being without is just. . .tormenting. It's miserable. It's never going to be easy even though, deep down, I know I will eventually find a way to carry on. _

_It's just. . .the parent-child bond is undeniably the most fundamental of all human ties and, when he's gone, how will I ever be able to fill the gaping hole left by his absence? How will I ever be able to get through a Sunday afternoon without expecting his call? How will I spend a holiday without seeing him or speaking with him? How will I ever be able to look at my son who shares my father's name without feeling completely numb? _

_I don't know; I just can't seem to wrap my head around all of this, and maybe. . .maybe I'm being selfish. Maybe I'm behaving like a child, but. . .I am a child. I'm HIS child, and I don't want to have to deal with or cope with the loss of his parental love and attention that was given uniquely to me from the day I was born. I depend on that love, and maybe I've even taken it for granted, but. . .he's my dad, and no one will ever know me as he did in his own special way. _

_The death of my father will undeniably shake the very foundation of my life, and I thank God that I will have the steadfast love of my wife at my side, to be there for me when I'm feeling raw and vulnerable, alone, and out of control. She won't pressure, she won't expect my grief to disappear within days; Arizona believes that grief has its own rhythm, nature, and timing that resists our attempts to control it and, for that, for her and for our children, I am extremely grateful. _

_Other than Arizona, my father has always been my biggest fan and my greatest defense, the archives from which I've learned of our family's history and traditions, all the names of all those unfamiliar faces in old photos and at family gatherings. _

_The loss of my father is quite simply something I'll never be able to prepare for enough, and the thought of losing him is just too difficult to bear. _

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>This was the last old chapter, so next up is the ALL NEW Chapter Thirteen. Thanks for bearing with me during these re-posts! Chapter Thirteen will be posted tomorrow.


	13. Chapter 13

**Title**: Perfectly Imperfect

**Author**: HandsThatHeal

**Pairing**: Callie/Arizona

**Rating**: M/NC-17

**Summary**: Big changes bring big upheaval as Callie and Arizona find themselves alone for the first time in years. Will they be able to happily adapt to this new life without their children under their roof or will they now find that they have nothing in common in the absence of the ties that bound them together for so many years? Sequel to _Clarity_.

**Disclaimer**: All television shows, books, movies, songs, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work and the characters, events, and settings thereof are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context and are not intended to be libelous, defamatory, or in any way factual.

**AN: **So. . .I lied. I originally said I would post this ALL NEW chapter tomorrow, but I have a really busy day tomorrow. AND. . .this was already finished so, I thought, why not? Once again thanks for your continued interest in my stories, and I hope this latest update doesn't disappoint!

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter Thirteen<strong>_

* * *

><p>Trudging up the stairs and toward the solace of the bedroom she shared with her wife, Arizona was surprised to find the room dark, completely devoid of any light other than the silvery glow of the moon outside. She had desperately tried to make it home earlier in the evening, but that plan had in no way come to fruition. An irate parent, followed by an argument with Alex Karev, and then an unexpected 911 call to the pit, and here she was finally arriving home at just after midnight.<p>

Arizona sighed, shaking her head in defeat. She was absolutely exhausted; a bone deep kind of fatigue that was so overwhelming she could sense that, at any moment, she was about to giggle with delirium or worse, cry for the very same reason. This had been the week from Hell at work, and she thanked God neither she nor her wife had to work the following day.

Speaking of her wife, where the Hell was she?

Knocking on the ensuite bathroom door, Arizona was surprised when she found it vacant, as well, her brow furrowing in consideration of where exactly the other woman could be. Moving toward her dresser to quickly change into something more comfortable before continuing the search for her missing wife, she pulled out a pair of flannel pajama pants and a thermal Henley, quickly donning her clothes and stuffing her feet into a cozy pair of UGG boots before making her way back out of the bedroom and into the hall. Finding all the other bedrooms in the upstairs empty just as she had her own, she then meandered down the stairs, heading straight for the kitchen.

Glancing out the window above the sink, she finally found her wife; Callie was seated in a double chaise lounge in the middle of the garden, a thick quilt wrapped tightly around her body as she somberly stared into a crackling fire blazing in the center of the stone fire pit.

Arizona hated the fact that she hadn't been home earlier; it had been nearly a month since she and Callie had returned home from Miami where they had received the devastating news that Carlos was ill and that he had made the decision on his own not to fight his illness. And, in that time, Arizona had made a giant effort to keep her schedule the same as her wife's. It wasn't that Callie needed to be watched, but Arizona absolutely hated the thought of leaving her alone in the evenings, not just because she was worried the brunette would think she was once again distancing herself like she had in the weeks immediately following Sam's move to college but, also because, now, when left alone with her thoughts, when her mind was idle, Callie seemed to always descend into a place of darkness, a place completely bereft of her beloved father.

Work seemed to help; it kept Callie's mind active - as did FaceTime chats with Sofia to discuss wedding plans, calls from Olivia to talk about some wonderful and awesome new _Andy person _she'd met in a coffee shop in Florence, along with the occasional dinners they had with Sam when he could fit them into his busy college schedule.

Arizona had also tried to be more present for Callie, more understanding, and more in tune with her feelings and, with a slight smile tugging at her lips, the blonde sighed, thinking about just how much Callie was trying to do the very same for her. They were settling into their new life together better than they had in the very beginning and, for that, Arizona was extremely grateful. They were spending more quality time together, cooking dinner together in the evenings after work, taking leisurely strolls around their neighborhood after that, but mostly, just being together in every possible way. But unfortunately, despite all that, there still seemed to be a storm cloud hanging over them, and that came in the form of a dying Carlos Torres.

Turning off the stove, Arizona poured steaming hot milk into Callie's favorite zebra striped mug; how that old thing had managed to survive the past twenty odd years and three rambunctious children, was completely beyond her. Mixing in dark chocolate, sugar, and a splash of vanilla to just the way Callie liked it, Arizona then grabbed one of Sam's forgotten hooded sweatshirts from the coat closet before making her way out onto the patio.

A crisp breeze blew several fallen leaves up around her body and, Arizona gasped when the icy chill of the mid November wind blasted against her face, a shiver racing down her spine as she quickly stepped across the stone pavers in the direction of her wife.

"Holy crap, Calliope," she spoke on a breath, her body shivering at the onslaught of cool breeze. "It's freaking freezing out here."

Dragging her gaze from the fire to land on her wife, Callie couldn't help but softly chuckle at the sight of Arizona juggling what she assumed was a steaming hot cup of cocoa as she hastily attempted to shove her arms into the oversized hoodie.

"Get over here then, you little freeze baby. It's nice and cozy inside here," Callie happily offered with a wink, lifting the blanket to invite her wife to join her.

Hastily hopping around as the icy chill continued to invade her form, Arizona quickly closed the distance between herself and her seated wife, snuggling up as close to Callie as she possibly could. Sighing in relief when the brunette tucked the blanket around their bodies, Arizona's teeth comically chattered as Callie quickly commandeered the mug still held in Arizona's shivering hand before it had the chance to meet its ultimate demise against the pavers below.

"Long day, huh," Callie softly commented, loving the sensation of just how effortlessly Arizona's body seemed to meld into her own.

A sound similar to a growl left Arizona's throat in response, her head tipping to the side to rest against Callie's shoulder. "Long and. . ._terrible_," the blonde said with a sigh. "I swear to God, sometimes I think it's like twenty-five years in the past. Karev is still a resident, and I'm still holding his hand," she grumbled, slumping further into the chair and, if possible, even closer to the warmth of her wife's form. "What about you? How was your day?"

Callie sighed, taking a sip from her mug before reaching over to place it on a table nearby. Settling back in, she wrapped her arm around Arizona's shoulders before once again securing the blanket around them. "It was good. Nothing too eventful," she vaguely commented, once again losing herself in the glowing embers as they leaped and twirled in a fiery dance.

"Did you talk to your dad, tonight?" Arizona hesitantly asked a moment later as she snaked her arms around Callie's waist beneath the warmth of the blanket.

Clearing her throat, Callie slowly nodded her head, a sorrowful sigh leaving her lips. "Yeah, he. . .uh. . .he didn't sound so great, today. Pretty exhausted after only a couple minutes on the phone, so I let him go so he could sleep."

Arizona hugged Callie tighter, pressing a gentle kiss against the prominence of a caramel jaw bone. There really was nothing Arizona could say to make Callie feel better and, even if there was, the blonde found herself at a complete loss for what it could possibly be. So, hoping her presence and support was enough to demonstrate to Callie that she was there for her no matter what, Arizona remained quiet, just holding her wife close.

Both women continued to aimlessly stare into the fire, neither speaking until Callie quickly inhaled a sharp breath. "Oh!" she exclaimed, causing Arizona to jump slightly at her side. "I talked to Sofia this evening, too. She and Caleb aren't going to be able to make it for Thanksgiving," she informed, a sadness evident in her voice that didn't quite match her exclamation from just moments before. "Apparently, they're spending Thanksgiving in New York with Caleb's mom and step dad."

Sitting up in her seat, Arizona felt her heart begin to break at the thought of spending the holidays without her kids; not that Sofia had spent every Thanksgiving with them since moving across the country, but it wasn't until that very moment that Arizona realized they would now have to share their precious little girl, not just with school and residency and other obligations but, now, with an entire other family, altogether. "Ugh. . .that totally sucks," she whispered with a roll of her eyes. "Olivia won't be here, either."

Callie nodded her agreement before pulling Arizona toward her to press an insistent kiss against her temple. "Yeah, it sucks big time," she concurred with a sigh once her wife had settled back into the chaise. "_BUT_. . .she promised they'd spend Christmas here and then fly with us to Miami, afterward. That's a good trade-off. . .don't you think?"

Arizona huffed, defiantly crossing her arms over her chest. "I guess," she pouted, rolling her eyes in disdain. She didn't want to share. She didn't want to compromise. She just wanted her kids. At home. Where they were meant to be.

The two once again sat for several long moments in companionable silence before Arizona once again let out a huff, quickly sitting forward so she could regard her wife. "So what do you think Thanksgiving looks like in the land of the Harrington-Pruitt's, anyway?" she comically asked in her best British brogue.

Callie smiled at the question and, nipping at her bottom lip as she considered her words, she then tipped her head upward, her nose in the air. "Smashing, darling. I'm sure it looks positively smashing," she teased, returning her wife's attempt at the Queen's English.

With a deviant glint in her eye, Arizona leaned forward, gently brushing her lips against the plump ones of her wife and, once she felt she had paid that luscious mouth a sufficient amount of attention, she pulled back, gently cupping Callie's face in her hands. "Thank God, we still have Sam," she commented before settling back into the cocoon of the blanket and the warmth of Callie's embrace. "And, he'll be here for an entire week!"

Callie chuckled at her wife's giddiness, placing a kiss against the top of a blonde head. "Yep," she concurred, squeezing Arizona and rocking her back and forth. "And, when he gets home next week, the poor boy isn't gonna know what hit him."

* * *

><p>Angrily pacing the length of her office, Callie loudly huffed into her phone, rolling her eyes at the disheartening and infuriating words she was hearing from the person on the other end. She absolutely could not believe she was having this conversation with her father's caregivers. Again.<p>

"I heard what you said, Matthew, but I need _you_ to hear what _I'm_ saying," she viciously spat, her free hand coming up to massaged at the tension that was quickly building across her forehead. "My father may have chosen hospice care, but that doesn't mean I want him left in bed all the time. It was seventy-six degrees in Miami, yesterday, so there's absolutely no reason why you couldn't have _at least_ gotten him up into a chair and then taken him for a walk. Daddy loves walks. . . .especially on the beach," she irately informed, pausing in the angrily paced circuit to lean against the front of her desk. "And, guess what? There's a damn boardwalk right off the back of my parents' house that leads right to the beach. Did you hear me say that daddy _LOVES_ the beach? It's like his favorite fucking place in the entire world."

Slipping into her wife's office without knocking, Arizona grimaced upon hearing Callie's unexpected exclamation, her heart empathizing with the poor soul on the other end of the line. She had merely come to grab Callie so they could go get lunch, but maybe she'd arrived at the wrong time.

"You know what? Fine," Callie seemed to be relenting, though her tone remained harsh. "Yesterday is gone. I don't give a crap what happened yesterday, but what about today? It's. . ." she trailed off, glancing toward a clock on the wall, doing the time change math in her head to determine the hour. "It's three in the afternoon, there. Have you gotten him up today?"

Glancing toward her wife who now patiently sat on the sofa in the corner of the office, Callie rolled her eyes, mouthing, "_Idiots_," as she held up an index finger to request Arizona just give her a little more time.

Arizona nodded her understanding, more than willing to allow Callie the time she needed to straighten out whatever was happening with her ailing father's care from over three thousand miles away.

"You know what, Matthew, I'm just going to have to speak to your supervisor because you clearly aren't doing a damn thing I'm paying you for," Callie hissed, once again shaking her head. "I want my father up. Every morning. I want him to have whatever he wants for breakfast. Then, I want you to take him for a walk. If he can walk on his own, that's great. If he needs a walker, there's one there for him. . .it's sitting right next to the hospital bed that was delivered last week. And, if he isn't able to walk at all, a wheelchair is fine, too. It is also there. I'm not exactly sure where the wheelchair is since I'm currently located all the way across the freaking country but, if you need help, there are plenty of people around who will be more than willing to assist you," she caustically rambled, her rate speech and the extent of her sarcasm quickly rising. "I just want him outside. In his favorite place. Is that really too much to ask?" she questioned, her eyes wide as she impatiently awaited a response.

Leaning back against the cushions of the sofa, Arizona continued to watch her wife, the overwhelming tension Callie was feeling evident in her every word, her every move, her every expression. Arizona couldn't remember the last time she'd seen Callie so demanding about something and, while she knew her wife meant well, she also was vastly aware that Callie had a tendency to push just a bit too hard.

But, how could she argue with her? How could she possibly challenge her when all the brunette wanted was what was best for her father and, if the situation were reversed, if it was one of her parents who was in need of end of life care, Arizona knew, without a doubt, she would be demanding the best of the best for them, as well.

Clicking off her phone with a jab of her thumb against the touch screen, Callie carelessly threw it across the room, a low growl rising from deep within her chest to force its way out her mouth when it bounced off the bookshelf to land in a heap on the carpeted floor. "Useless. Fucking useless," she muttered, beginning to pace the length of her office.

"Calliope. . ."

"No, seriously, Arizona," Callie quickly interrupted, unwilling to be talked down.

Not yet at least.

"We're paying these people exorbitant amounts of money to take care of daddy, and they refuse to do a damn thing I say," Callie continued, her arms crossed over her chest as one set of fingertips impatiently drummed against the starched white material of the lab coat covering her upper arm. "I wish he would have let me stay or-or-or that he'd just let me move him and mom here. That would be the easiest. Then, at least, I could be there to make sure he's getting the care he needs."

Arizona cleared her throat, standing from the sofa to close the distance between them. Stepping up in front of her wife, she reached out to uncross Callie's arms before taking tanned hands into her own. "Just have a little patience, Calliope," she tried to soothe, though Callie immediately bristled at her words.

Arizona could sense her wife's disdain for what she'd said but, ultimately, she decided to push through. "Maybe you don't know the whole story. Maybe your dad is giving them a hard time. Maybe he doesn't want to do the things they're asking him to," she tried to rationalize, her eyes searching the magical ones of her wife for any kind of response. "Are you really going to force your father to do something he doesn't want to do? Especially now?"

Callie's body remained rigid as Arizona spoke and, immediately opening her mouth to argue, her response quickly died on her lips as realization seemed to clearly dawn on her. Swallowing hard against the lump that had formed in her throat as she listened to Arizona's heartfelt words, Callie shook her head, shame in her words and her actions immediately rising within her. "Well, no. Of course not, Arizona," she relented, her tone still holding an edge though it had greatly softened compared to the irate ramblings Arizona had just witnessed moments before. "I'm not very happy about it but, I'm going to respect daddy's wishes. I just. . ."

The ringing of Callie's phone from where is now lay discarded but, apparently not broken across the room, halted the continuation of her explanation and, with an exaggerated huff and a roll of her eyes, she quickly stalked over to the other corner of the room in order to swipe the blaring device from the floor.

"What?" she haughtily answered without taking the time to look at the identity of the caller on the phone's display.

"_Umm. . .hey?"_

Callie's eyes again rolled, this time at her own outburst. "Hey, sweetheart," she answered, internally berating herself for her astringent greeting. "I'm sorry, Sam. Crappy day. What's up?" she asked, closing her eyes and breathing deeply.

Hearing the softening of Callie's voice - the subtle difference that was present in her wife's inflection when she talked to any of their children - Arizona's attention was immediately piqued, her eyes searching her wife's face for any inkling to what their son was saying on the other line.

"_Where are you two?"_

Callie's face scrunched at the question; they were at work. Weren't they always at this time of day? "Mom and I are both at work. Why? Where are you?" she curiously asked, brown eyes now locked with questioning bright blue as both women awaited the young man's response.

"_I'm home. What's for dinner? I'm starving."_

Once again glancing at the clock on the wall, Callie noted it to be just after twelve in the afternoon. Arizona had just arrived to take her to lunch, but Sam was already asking for dinner.

Typical Sam. Always hungry.

"Well, considering it's only lunchtime, I have no idea what's for dinner. Nor do I have any plans for it since I had no idea you'd be home," she teased, though she was extremely happy she'd have the opportunity to see her son today. "So, I think the better question is, with all day to prepare, what do you plan on making for your mother and me for dinner?" she asked with a slight chuckle.

Arizona rolled her eyes, though a proud smile lit her face. She knew her son well; the boy was a complete bottomless pit.

"Speechless? Not willing to make dinner for your old moms?" Callie teased when she received no response from the young man on the other end of the line.

Chuckling at Sam's continued silence, she winked at Arizona before she spoke. "Listen. . .mom and I were just about to grab some lunch in the cafeteria, but we should have time to leave the hospital, instead," Callie offered, smiling when Arizona nodded her emphatic agreement. "Want to meet us at Tilikum Place in about a half hour?"

Arizona watched as her wife's face lightened, Callie's entire body becoming exponentially more fluid than it had been only moments before. She had been trying so hard to keep Callie calm and collected in the face of their most recent tragedy but, maybe, a little dose of love from any one of their kids was really what she needed.

Unfortunately, the vagueness with which Sam seemed to be speaking to her wife, combined with his surprise visit two days before his scheduled arrival for the Thanksgiving holiday, Arizona couldn't help but worry that something just wasn't quite right.

* * *

><p>"You <em>what<em>?" Arizona demanded from where she was seated across the table from her son. "Don't you think you should have discussed this with your mother and me first?" she tersely asked, completely unable to comprehend the words that had just spilled forth from her seemingly oblivious son's mouth.

Finally sensing his mother's disdain, Sam had the decency to look sufficiently sheepish as he stuffed a bite of Beef French Dip Sandwich into his mouth. "I'm discussing it with you right now," he stated with a shrug, remnants of his food rolling around in his wide open trap.

Callie and Arizona both leaned back in their seats as they disbelievingly watched their son; who the hell was this kid and what had he done with their precious - and usually quite mannerly - little boy?

It had only been two weeks since they'd last seen him, only six weeks since they'd moved him into his dorm but, the person staring back at them was so vastly different from the boy they'd raised, they both were left speechless, their eyes wide as they watched him take another enormous bite of sandwich.

"Aren't we paying for like the mega meal plan for you at school?" Callie asked, reaching across the table to yank the food from Sam's hand before he had the opportunity to stuff another disgusting bite into his unshaven face. "You're eating like a Neanderthal, Samuel. What the Hell has happened to you?" she asked completely aghast, pulling the sandwich further from his grasp when he tried, in vain, to swipe it from her hand.

Rolling his eyes, Sam straightened up in his chair and, opening his mouth to speak, he was quickly halted by Arizona's raised palm.

"Chew. Then swallow," she scolded, shaking her head at his display. "Wipe your mouth, and then. . ._maybe_ we'll talk."

Running his hand through the unruly dark locks at the top of his head, Sam chewed for several long moments, swallowing the masticated food and wiping his face before taking a long drag from the straw in his glass of Coke. "Better?" he sarcastically asked, opening his mouth to reveal perfect white teeth completely now, thankfully, devoid of food.

"I don't really like your tone, young man," Arizona informed, crossing her arms over her chest. "And what exactly is up with your hair?"

Sam once again rolled his eyes, though an infectious smile that neither of his mothers had ever been able to resist, tugged at his perfectly full lips. "I haven't had time to get a haircut, but I scheduled an appointment for tonight. Also, I'm starving. I skipped breakfast this morning before class."

"Uh-huh," Callie harrumphed, completely unconvinced as she continued to stare, expressive brown eyes completely agog, at the strange creature - quite possibly from another planet - who was seated across from her.

Sam once again tried to take back his sandwich but, when he finally resigned himself to the fact that Callie was in no way going to let it go, he sat back in his chair, knowing it was now or never. "So. . .like I said, Olivia called me last week and invited me to spend my Thanksgiving break in Italy. . .with her."

"Yeah, we got that part," Arizona grumbled, arms still crossed over her chest.

"And, I said I would?" Sam obtusely continued.

"Got that part, too," Callie added, hijacked sandwich still held firmly in her grasp.

With a sigh, Sam once again plastered on his charm, his intoxicating chocolate brown eyes gleaming with mirth. "Come on, moms. I've only been to visit her once since she moved and, I have the entire week off, so why not?" he tried to reason. "Besides, she misses home. How could I possibly tell her no?"

"How could you possibly tell her yes without consulting us first?" Arizona admonished, blue eyes boring into his soul.

"How could you possibly pay for the trip on your own?" Callie added with a grunt.

Sam's smile widened, dimples popping so much like Arizona's, it was astounding. "See, that's where the two of you come in."

* * *

><p>Arriving home later that evening, Callie and Arizona were surprised to find Sam standing in the kitchen, a striped towel slung over his shoulder as he masterfully plated two dishes with the best looking Chicken Piccata either woman had ever seen. With their eyes wide with surprise and their mouths agape in speechless incredulity, both women smiled when he stepped their way.<p>

"Good evening, ladies," he jovially greeted, hooking each woman's arm through either of his own before leading them to a table set for two. "Welcome to Taquería Jalisco Robbins-Torres. Tonight's special includes a garden salad with Dr. Arizona Robbins' world famous tangy tomato salad dressing followed by Dr. Calliope Torres' marvelous Chicken Piccata. . ."

"Sam. . ."

"Have you had it?" he playfully asked, completely cutting off Arizona without remorse. "Because, I've been eating it for my entire life and, trust me. It's to die for."

Pulling out Arizona's seat and placing a cloth napkin on her lap, he did the same for Callie before moving across the kitchen to gather two plates. "With the chicken there's something special on the menu tonight. A little something from the _future_ Dr. Samuel Timothy Robbins-Torres recipe book. . .potatoes tapas in garlic aioli," he informed with a wink.

Callie and Arizona both stared down at their plates, completely shocked at the beauty in the presentation.

"So now, the candles are lit, your favorite wines are already poured, and I am out of here. Off to get a haircut so I don't look like a _hoodwink_ and then back to school because I have a Chem test tomorrow at 10am."

"Sam. . ."

"No need to thank me," he once again interrupted, placing a reverent kiss against Callie's cheek.

Then leaning across the table, he did the same to Arizona before grabbing his backpack from where it sat on a high bar stool at the kitchen island. "Give me a call later," he requested with another wink. "I'll anxiously be awaiting your response."

And, with that, Sam disappeared from their sight, the sound of the front door shutting and his car engine starting before it pulled away from the house.

"He really wants to go on this trip," Callie commented, shaking her head as she grabbed her wine glass to take a sip.

Arizona nodded, her fork held in her left hand and her knife in her right as she cut into the perfectly prepared breast of chicken. "Yeah, and I think we should let him," she matter-of-factly stated before placing a bite of food in her mouth.

Callie leaned back in her seat, carefully considering her wife. "You do?" she asked, more than a little surprised, especially with the difficulty Arizona had experienced in letting their little boy go.

Arizona smiled as she chewed and, after swallowing the amazingly delicious bolus of food, she softly spoke. "Yeah. I do," she admitted, placing her utensil to the side and grabbing her wine. "I've decided to view this little excursion of his as a test. If he can travel nearly six thousand miles to another country unscathed, then maybe our baby really is grown up," she informed with a slight pout forming on her lips. "But, if he goes, and we receive one phone call from either him or Olivia that mentions one word about trouble or drinking or jail of either of them needing help, I swear to God, I'll kill them both."

* * *

><p>A disgusting mix of snow and rain poured from the night sky as Callie trudged her weary body through the parking lot of Grey+Sloan Memorial Hospital toward her car. She and Arizona had both been paged into the hospital at 3am and, while the blonde had been able to return home hours before, Callie had not. Though it was just late November, Thanksgiving Day to be exact, the presence of freezing weather meant a heavy onslaught of orthopedic injuries by way of falls on slippery sidewalks and car accidents on icy roads.<p>

Now taking great care as she navigated her own vehicle through the streets of Seattle toward the home she shared with her wife, Callie begrudgingly grumbled to herself in the silent car as she considered the day.

After spending eighteen hours standing over an operating table without reprieve, repairing femur after femur, tibia after tibia, humerus after humerus, Callie was completely fried and, once again, near tears. That seemed to be her norm lately, especially since receiving the harrowing news of her father's illness but, for some reason, today was just. . ._beyond_. Beyond worse. Beyond any sense of sadness she'd ever experienced in her entire life.

And that was because nothing about this day had turned out as it should have. Sofia was in New York with Caleb and, Sam in Italy with Olivia; she was at work and Arizona, by now, was most likely at home in bed or at home, feeling just as miserable as she. Calls from all three of the kids had done little to lift her spirits because this just wasn't. . ._right_. There was just nothing okay about the way this day had gone. She should have had the day off; she should have slaved away in the kitchen all day long stuffing and baking a turkey and making her wife and each of their children's' favorite side dishes but, instead, she and Arizona were alone.

They had considered flying to Miami to visit her parents but, ultimately, decided against it due to their last minute decision to allow Sam to fly to Italy to be with Olivia, choosing instead to work this holiday in order to have more time off at Christmas.

Left alone to her thoughts, Callie was surprised when she arrived in front of the house, her brain functioning on complete autopilot to safely guide her from the hospital to her home. Pulling into the garage, she turned off the ignition, tossing her head back against the headrest as she took a deep breath. She really needed to snap out of this miserable existence she'd been residing in; she was supposed to be enjoying this time spent alone with Arizona, but how could she do that when she was constantly consumed with worry for her dad? There was now just this deeply seated feeling of dread that always accompanied her, like at any moment she was going to receive a phone call telling her that her father was gone.

With a heavy sigh, she forced herself from the car, adjusting the bag on her shoulder before slamming the car door and making her way into the house. Slowly entering the kitchen, she couldn't help the new wave of sadness that overtook her upon being greeted with overwhelming silence in a home that had once been filled with so much energy, so much joyful laughter and jovial conversation. Quietly shutting the door to hopefully keep from waking her already sleeping wife and throwing her coat onto a nearby chair, Callie meandered into the foyer, so lost in her own depressing thoughts that she didn't immediately notice that she wasn't alone.

In fact, it wasn't until she heard footsteps behind her and the soft sound of a familiar voice that her head snapped to attention as she turned toward the more than welcome sound.

"Hey," Arizona murmured, gently running her palms from the middle of Callie's back upward to rest against taut shoulders. "I missed you," she continued before pressing a gentle kiss against a blouse covered back.

Glancing around the living room as she reveled in the presence of her wife at her back, Callie's mouth dropped open, her eyes wide as she fully took in the scene around her. So shocked by her surroundings, she was initially unable to find her voice, her mouth opening and closing several times before she could finally make words. Quickly turning to face her wife who now nervously stood biting her bottom lip, Callie's mouth once again opened in surprise, words finally tumbling from her mouth. "Arizona? Wh-what's all this?"

Stepping around her, Arizona firmly took Callie's hand within her own before leading her toward the middle of the living room where twinkly lights lined the mantle and several potted plants, every surface of the room magically shimmering around the coffee table set for two as candles flickered in the darkness, the delicious aroma of. . ._pepperoni pizza_ assaulting their senses.

Arizona anxiously studied Callie's face for a reaction and, seeing the tiniest glimmer of a smile beginning to tug at the full lips she lived so much, the blonde motioned for Callie to take a seat on a blanket she'd strategically placed in front of the fire.

Arizona then carefully moved to join her wife and, before she explained, she handed her wife an already pre-poured flute of champagne. "I'd like to make a toast," she then whispered, holding up her own glass, her gleaming cerulean eyes silently asking Callie to do the same.

When Callie followed along, Arizona gave her a sultry wink, though tears full of emotion began to brim in her glistening blue eyes. "Calliope. . .what you and I have together is. . ._magical_. It's beautiful, and it's real. It's the purest thing in my life and, every single day I wake up next to you, is. . .well, it's the very happiest day of my life."

"Arizona. . ."

Arizona shook her head, holding up her free hand and pressing the tip of her index finger against Callie's lips so she could finish. "And, I know the past couple months have been hard. Our lives are changing in so many ways and, some of those changes are really awesome and unbelievably amazing, but. . .unfortunately, our lives are changing in some not so amazing ways, too."

Arizona paused in her speech when a large tear made a trek from Callie's eyelid, past her cheek and down her neck and, reaching out with both hands, she gently placed her palms at either side of her wife's face, the pads of ivory thumbs brushing against the moisture that had gathered there.

"And, it totally sucks," Arizona softly continued, her head tipped to the side as she reverently took in the beauty of her wife's face. "I hate the fact that we're here alone without the kids. It just feels so wrong. Like there's literally a piece of me missing all the time," she admitted, her own face now lined with the moisture of her own tears.

Clearing her throat, Arizona meticulously gathered her thoughts, knowing she needed to push through. It was her turn to be the strong one. It was her turn to help Callie make it through. "So, the longer I sat here today, desperately missing you and brooding over the fact that the kids are off doing their own thing, the more I realized that all of this. . .it's just a sign that you and I need to do the same thing," she tried to explain, her thumbs continuing to caress Callie's face. "I don't want to have to change our traditions, and I certainly don't like being without the kids but, at the same time, I don't want to spend every holiday feeling like this, either."

Callie nodded in understanding, a sniffle breaking the silence when Arizona trailed off.

"Pretty shitty, huh?" Callie mumbled with another sniffle and a clearing of her own throat before resting her palms over the ivory ones still cupping her face.

"Totally," Arizona agreed with a slight smile before leaning forward to capture her wife's lips in a thorough kiss.

One mouth lovingly caressed the other for several long moments and, pulling back just far enough to look into Callie's sorrowful brown eyes, Arizona nuzzled her nose against the tear moistened one of her wife. "So, we're going to change that. We're going to make new traditions, and we're going to start right now," she adamantly stated, turning to flip open the cardboard box holding their Thanksgiving meal.

"With pizza?" Callie asked, one eyebrow quirked in question. "We're going to eat pizza for Thanksgiving? Every year from now on?"

Arizona shook her head before animatedly rolling her eyes. "Well, for this year, pizza will have to do," she began, dimples popping in a genuine smile that finally reached sparkling azure eyes. "It was either that or Chinese, and I didn't want to turn this into _A Christmas Story_, so you're just going to have to go with it," she commented, plating two pieces of pizza and handing them to her wife.

Callie couldn't help but respond with a meager smile, her eyes flicking around the room to land on the twinkling lights that now adorned the mantle as a roaring fire in the hearth worked its magic to warm her chilled body and frozen spirit. Finally, her gaze landed on Arizona who sat motionless worriedly staring at her with a concerned look on her face.

Looking down at her plate, Callie absentmindedly fiddled with the crusted edge of her pizza before looking up, her shoulders rising in a defeated shrug. "I just. . ." she trailed off as quickly as she began, her voice thick with emotion. "First Sam going to college, and then. . .my dad. . ."

Callie once again paused, shaking her head as the tears that had only just begun to desist once again made their way to her eyes. Blinking several times and looking toward the ceiling in an attempt to stop the torrent of emotion she felt brewing inside her, she then sighed, her eyes falling shut as she gently shook her head. "I just. . .I never thought it would be _this_ hard. I feel like everything's spiraling out of control, Arizona, and I can't stop it. Nothing is going the way I want it to - the way I thought it would, and I can't make it stop. Everything that's happening is totally out of my hands, and I. . .I just really need it to stop."

Arizona instantly leaned forward, Callie's completely overwhelmed and dejected form heavily falling into her arms. "I know, Calliope. I know," she tried to soothe, her voice thickly laden with her own sense of loss but, remaining adamant, nonetheless. "But, it's going to get better. You said so yourself. It's hard right now, but we're going to get through this. We're going to make it, and we're going to do it together."

Callie nodded her head, though she continued to cry, her body trembling with the unabashed tears she felt like she had absolutely no control over. This was supposed to be a time for her and Arizona to rekindle their relationship, to reinvent themselves, and reconfirm their love, but all Callie could do was cry. And she really, really hated herself for that. She hated that she was ruining this for them. "I'm sorry, Arizona. So sorry."

Arizona shook her head, continuing to hold her wife close. "No, Calliope. You have no reason to be sorry," she whispered, slowly leaning back when she felt Callie's body begin to stop shaking. "We've both been a little. . ._emotional, _lately. We're just. . ."

"A hot mess?" Callie interrupted, a rueful laugh bubbling up from inside her.

"You could say that," Arizona replied, reaching behind her to grab a box of tissues from an end table. Pulling out a few, she handed them to her wife, watching as Callie blotted at her eyes before blowing her nose.

"I'm okay, sweetheart. I'm okay," Callie stated, recognizing the look in Arizona's eyes as the one she'd been gazing at her with since she'd found out about her father. "And thank you. For all of this. It's incredible. You worked so hard on this, and I'm sitting here blubbering like an idiot."

Arizona shook her head, devoutly admiring her wife and, after the briefest hesitation, she leaned forward, taking Callie's bottom lip between her own and sucking on it gently before finally releasing it with a pop. "I know it would be better if the kids were here, and I'm not saying we won't be happy to have them home if they're available, but. . ."

Callie nodded, knowing exactly what her wife was trying to say. "This is perfect, Arizona. Perfect."

"I love you so much, Calliope," Arizona whispered, reaching out to gather Callie into another tight embrace.

With her chin resting against her wife's shoulder, she then turned, nuzzling a pale neck before placing small kisses against every inch of skin she could reach. "I love you, too. So, so much."

* * *

><p>Hours later, Callie and Arizona sat in the middle of the blanket laid out on the hardwood floor of the living room, album upon album and stacks upon stacks of photos strewn around them, two empty bottles of champagne haphazardly lying about.<p>

This holiday had in no way been ideal but, they were making it, and they were doing so. . ._together_. It was difficult, and it was frustrating, but this was what marriage was all about. It wasn't just about give and take but, more importantly, it was about sharing in one another's joy and pain and being present for each other in their times of greatest need. Because, they had made a commitment to each other long ago, and that was all that mattered.

They were still together after so many years and so many tragedies and, as they laughed and kissed and enjoyed the romantic atmosphere Arizona had created, both women experienced a lightness in their hearts they hadn't felt in a very long time. Things were definitely beginning to shift; their lives would forever continue to ebb and to flow and, as Arizona leaned forward, lowering her wife to the blanket covered floor beneath them, both women lost themselves in each other with the memories of so many holidays before scattered about all around.

* * *

><p><em><strong>(Arizona's POV)<strong>_

_When Sofia, Olivia, and Sam were young, our family had very well-honed holiday traditions. Thanksgiving was generally spent travelling; one year we would spend the holiday in Miami with Carlos and Lucia with the next spent with my parents in Cape Cod where they finally decided to settle down and call their home. Every other year we would alternate between sunny Florida and generally freezing cold Massachusetts and, for our family, that system just worked. _

_Christmas was generally spent at our home in Seattle and was always a magnificent event. Callie and I would allow the kids to open one present on Christmas Eve before heading to Midnight Mass and, at after one in the morning when we arrived back home, we would diligently make sure to leave cookies and milk for Santa and a pile of carrots for the reindeer. Then, it was off to bed for our exhausted little ones while Callie and I put the last minute finishing touches on Cadillac Escalade Power Wheels, Barbie Dream Houses, painting easels and art tables. _

_And then, if we were lucky, my wife and I got to spend some much needed time alone together, cuddling in front of the fireplace and, if we were feeling brave enough, making love near the Christmas tree as flames crackled in the hearth, twinkling lights and the soothing sounds of Christmas carols creating the perfect ambiance for our time together. _

_Christmas morning would then arrive way too soon and was spent consumed by mountains of flying gift wrap, ribbons, and bows that had only moments before been covering beautifully wrapped packages of every shape and size. Callie and I would then let the kids play with their toys or, as they grew, new electronic devices and gaming systems while she and I relaxed on the sofa in our PJs, snuggled together under a thick blanket as we reveled in the magic of the holiday atmosphere as it perfectly harmonized with the laughter and excitement of our equally magical children. _

_And that's how our lives remained for several years but, as time passed, our traditions began to dwindle. Not by choice but, by circumstance. First, Sofia went to college on the complete opposite side of the country and, while she always diligently attempted to be present for holidays and celebrations, traveling to us or us to her, that quickly became too much. She needed to study or had to stay in Baltimore to complete a clinical rotation, followed by Olivia going to college and having obligations of her own. _

_It was certainly a transition period, and it was hard. So hard because holidays were, and still are, so important in our family. When things started to change, Callie and I struggled because neither of us was willing to admit to the reality of what this change actually meant. We didn't want to lose any of the awesome traditions we had formed for ourselves and for our kids; we didn't want our routines to be broken because if we gave in to that, if we just let it happen, the fact that our kids were growing up and making their own lives would become all too real._

_So initially, we fought it. We tried so hard to be everywhere at once but, with time, it grew more and more difficult to keep everyone together, especially when the time came when not just one, but all three of our kids no longer lived in the same place. And this year has to be the worst; this Thanksgiving was definitely a test, one I feel Callie and I handled with as much grace as we possibly could, despite the tears. This was our first holiday spent completely devoid of any of our children and, while it was nice to be with my wife and to share the holiday with just her, it just wasn't the same._

_Nothing is ever going to be the same. And, while we don't like it, I think Callie and I are both now beginning to resign ourselves to the fact that this is just the way the world works, the natural order of events; things have to change and traditions either have to be adjusted or new ones have to be made in order to carry on. _

_So, what should we do? Not only do our children live in different places, but Sofia will soon be married and, once that happens, her extended family will grow exponentially. She will be expected to spend time with Caleb and his family during certain holidays and, I suppose, Callie and I are just going to have to learn to share. Compromises will have to be made and, I'm sure feelings are going to be hurt, but this is all just a part of watching our children grow from the kids they once were into the adults we raised them to be. _

_Maybe we'll just have to keep it simple, one holiday per family, every other year. Or maybe Calliope and I will just have to rack up our frequent flyer miles, spending our holidays jet setting around the country or around the world in order to see our kids. No matter what we decide, this change is going to be hard. It's never going to be ideal but, hopefully, we all will eventually figure out what works best. There's no way anyone can be two places at once, and that's just something we're going to have to wrap our heads around. _

_It really just comes down to what Callie and I have been dealing with from the moment we moved Sofia into her college dorm eight years ago, then Olivia five years later, and Sam two years after that. In fact, from the moment each of our children was born, Callie and I have progressively been preparing ourselves for this, for the time when we would have to. . .let them go. But in letting go, it in no way means Sofia, Olivia, and Sam don't hold a precious and miraculous place in our hearts. It just means we want to see them happy because. . .we love them. _

_Unconditionally. _

_Because, a mother holds her child's hand for just a short time, but holds their heart forever._

* * *

><p><strong>AN2: <strong>Thank you so much for continuing to read and review! I look forward to seeing what you think!


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